This is going to be my yearly letter because I am too lame to go make up cards. If you don't like it, too bad :).

The first milestone is that we actually got our family pictures taken! It has been about three years since our last one. So 2 kids later we finally got it together, and also found a great photographer. I don't like getting pictures because they look too posed most of the time, but I think you will see that you can definitely pick up on our personalities.

Parents first........ We are loving being back up here in Brighton again ( it's been about a year). It definitely feels like home here. We have all our friends and continue to meet new ones. I haven't really done anything that exciting this year other than giving birth to #4. I stay busy by attacking the never ending pile of laundry and being the taxi driver for our kids and sometimes their friends. Dan is still working for Farmers Insurance as a "Life Marketing Manager". It fulfills all his needs. He gets to be social and not be tied down to a desk in a "cubical" city. He just got a new Ford 500 for his company car. I will miss the Maroon Impala with the South Dakota plates. It was always easy to spot. To date ,the worst part of his job would probably be the Property and Casualty licensing test he just had to take. Not to relive the nightmare for him, he passed and will never have to take it again! Besides staying busy with work, he also keeps busy with the YM in our ward. He took them snowboarding and skiing this last weekend. All the boys came home with minimal injury... It was a success!

Good 'ol Tanner!! He has been a busy boy this past year. If you look back at the past blogs you'll know why. Since Tanner was busy that made the rest of us busy..... taking him to practices everywhere. Between baseball, football and now basketball he is having a great time. I think he had the most fun playing football because Dan got to help coach. Dan has taken him to a couple Bronco games and Nuggets games. He got to go to one of the Nuggets games that started at 8:00 PM. He came home and the first thing he said was " Dad did something you would never do...He let me have CAFFEINE!" and then went to bed. He is a happy, good natured kid. He is very helpful around the house when he isn't zoned out out playing PSP or the playstation2. He is doing well in school and loves 2nd grade.

Jayla, our little princess, is just that. She too has been a busy little thing. She learned how to swim under the water at the many times we were at Water World (again look at the past blogs). She is loving gymnastics and dance with Aunt Karla. She did a little cheer stint at the High School, that was a big highlight for her. She loves being in kindergarten, doing homework and thinking she is learning Spanish. She is in a class with about 5 kids who hardly speak any English. It cracks me up when I drop her off at school; She gets out of the car..."Hola, Jairo! Hola, Graciella! Hola, Bryan!" You get the idea. She really has learned a few words in Spanish. The teacher though speaks only English in class and really doesn't know any Spanish either. At home she is a great help. She too is such a good natured person and really just wants to help everyone. She also got to go on a "date" with dad to one of the nuggets games. She actually paid attention and got into the game. Her favorite thing though was the cheerleaders and the dancers.

Lets just say this is Zack's mug shot. He is what really keeps all of our lives full of action. He is the busiest one of the four with the most attitude. He epitomizes opposites. He is so loving and happy one minute but watch out for the tornado of attitude the next. I think he has 2 personalities. When he wakes up in the morning or after a nap we ask him if he is a happy Zack or angry Zack. Here is angry Zack.........

He works really hard at the eyebrows. He is a loving brother, especially to his little one. I wouldn't ask for him to be any different. He does a good job at being toted around everywhere and he is good at keeping up with the older ones in their playing around.

What can I say about this one? Just look at him! We aren't proud or anything of our children. Jake is such a good baby. He is so cheerful and happy. Like Zack he packs around very good. He is crawling everywhere and loves to have his siblings pay attention to him. He loves to eat, and be included in everything. He knows that cars are the thing to play with, along with anything he can reach. He has a fond love of everything that plugs into an outlet. When Dan or I have a difficult day we just look at him and he smiles and you can't help but smile back.

We wish all of you a Merry Christmas and hope that you're all doing well. We look forward to another crazy, but fulfilling year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JAYLA, TANNER, DAN AND GRANDMA PRATT!!

We have had a few things happen within the last couple of weeks. First I'll start off with Jayla. We signed her up for the High School Cheerleader Elem. clinic. This entailed 2 days of practice and then 1 night for the performance at the half time of the High School football game. She was so excited for weeks!!! They learned a couple of cheers and a dance. Her difficulty came because she is a lefty and wanted to start everything opposite of the rest of the girls. OHHHH, but was she cute! Of course the night of the performance it was raining and one of the coldest nights yet. They didn't want the girls wearing their coats so that you could see their matching t-shirts. The picture below is a little blurred, but she is the blond one, crouching down getting ready to dance.

The next highlight is of Tanner and Dan. Their little football team made it to the Championship game against Lafayette. Since it was the championship game it was played at the high school football field. Tanner really didn't care how far they had gotten other than they got to play on the "big" field. They still only played 60 yards instead of the full field. They didn't win, so they took 2nd place, but we were just happy that they made it that far. Now.... as a competitive mom.... I think it was unfair. We are the only city in the league that doesn't stack their team. Almost every other city has TRY-OUTS FOR 7-8 YR OLDS. HOW LAME IS THAT!!

Tanner and Dan having a heart to heart.

After the game there were a few kids who were sad and cried because of their loss. Uncle Steve asked Tanner after the game how he was doing Tanners answer...." Usually after these games we have snacks. Where are they?" Needless to say Tanner handled the loss great especially after he got his cupcake and drink (the mom who brought the drinks bought them a whole bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider, I think in the hopes that they would have a grand celebration. It was really cute though.)


Next.................

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA/ MOM

Yes it is that time of year. I posted these pics for my Siblings and grand children that could not participate in the HUGE party we had. Grandpa cooked up a thanksgiving type feast (since they will be in Utah for that day) and we partied like is was 1999.

We had a plethora(?) of desserts to choose from. Chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, and cupcakes.
Mom dressed up in all of her gifts. She got and new coat from grandpa and new scarf, hat and mittens from us. We love you Grandma!

Happy Halloween!!

This is at our wards trunk-or-treat. Grandma and Grandpa Pratt surprised the kids by coming up. I told them that there was a special car we had to go to very first. When we got to my dad's truck, Tanner was checking out all the jack-o-lanterns and said, "What's so cool about this one mom?" Jayla just stared right at Grandma, not even realizing who it was she was looking at. I said "What do you mean, 'what's so cool about this one?'" Jayla then said "OOOHHHHH, it's Grandma!" Then Tanner got it.

The kids dressed up like this...

Tanner- Big Superman

Zach- little Superman

Jayla- Black Cat

Jake- Cow

Me - Farmer, to corral the cow and little superman.

(he really doesn't have red eyes, just for halloween, to be scary)

AAAHHHH, TARGET!

Oh, the wonderful Super Target is now open in Brighton, Colorado.

It opened on Oct. 4, but they publicized that the Grand Opening would be on Oct. 8. So, of course I went on Oct. 4; but since it wasn't publicized there was hardly anyone there which was so awsome. I was expecting a huge chaotic mess, to my surprise there was hardly anyone there. It was like they opened that day just for me to have free riegn in the store. I told Jayla that this was like Christmas for mommy. I was so tempted to sit in the middle of the store and just breath a sigh of relief. Had I not needed to get Jayla to school I would have stayed there all day, wandering the beautiful isles.

The only other people that were there were mostly members of my ward. All us frugal (notice I said Frugal and not cheap) stay at home moms who are on a budget but want quality and style. Needless to say I go there now any chance I can.

I will leave quoting a lady from my ward who said it best..." When I walk in here (to Target) , so clean and nice, I forget I am in Brighton. I feel like am am part of a civilized city."

FOOTBALL SEASON!


This doesn't do our outfits justice...... Let me explain. As you can tell if you look closely we are ready for FOOTBALL! Our team of choice is obviously the Denver Broncos. If you come to our house on any given sunday this will most likely be our attire. Granted we are going with the tradition of the past and will be watching the games with our most trusted of fans .... the Gustads. The laptop will also be one of the needed equipment for this season as well since Dan needs to keep constant tabs on his fantasy football team.

We will be cheering for 2 teams this season since Tanner has started playing and preparing for the NFL.

He plays on the line sometimes defense, but mostly offense. He is having a great time. Of course he has the best line coach in the league...Dan Lewis. We love watching Tanner play and watching Dan coach. It has been so much fun, time consuming, but a lot of fun.

I AM TRYING TO ORGANIZE.....

Well school has started, which means that we are back on a schedule and I am trying to organize and get my planner in order. Yes, I am still in the rock ages of actually writing in pen on paper in a planner. I have tried to up date ...Dan gave me his Toshiba pocket pc (like a palm) but it is not holding a charge and I have managed to , I think, use all of it's memory, so when I add in knew appointments it won't save. So I went back to the old planner.

Tanner has gone through his first week of football practice. He practices Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri 5-7pm. Dan is coaching the linesmen, which is great because then that means I don't have to stay the full 2 hours. His first game is on Sept. 2. It will be fun to watch. It is tackle so they are in pads and everything. Tonight is the first practice where they get to have all their pads on. Tanner looks so cute, I mean tuff. Surprisingly he is not the biggest kid on the team; there is another boy who is also 7 (the team is7-8 yr olds) who weighs in at 112 lbs. compared to Tanners 75.

We have signed Jayla up for gymnastics. She is so excited. She has been practicing her cart-wheels. We haven't gone to a class yet. But I will let you know how she does. She will also begin tap/jazz with Aunt Karla starting in Sept. We put her in afternoon kindergarten just so she will be able to go. She didn't participate last year and was very sad.

Dan is now beginning to travel throughout the state. He is in charge of as far south as Durango/ Pueblo to Aspen and Ft. Collins. Needless to say I am a little worried with him driving around so much that the girls he passes will try to catch his eye as he is in his pimped maroon Chevy Impala. They have nothing on this mother of 4. I tried to post some pics of Dan earlier but was having trouble.

I was only able to get this picture up. about 1 1/2 wks ago Farmers Insurance did a little promo thing at Chatfield resevior. Orange County Choppers, OCC for those of you in the know, built this bike for Farmers. Dan said is was beautiful. I tried to get a pic to post of Dan on the bike but blogger is not cooperating. When I can I will post it. Dan is HOT on it!

Keep the comments coming as I enjoy reading them!

EVERYTHING LAST MINUTE......

Here's the picture of Jake that I could get to post on the last Blog. Isn't he adorable?! OK I am a little biased. He looks pretty much like the others , doesn't he.

So here are somemore pictures of the kids at Water World. Tanner stars school on Aug. 17 and Jayla starts a week later, so we are cramming in as many trip to go swim as possible.

Zach took his "zwim soup" out of the bag this day and had to just wear the cute little swim diaper speedo. Needless to say my kids have some great tan lines. I was very vigilant about the sunscreen and we had no incident of bad sunburn this year( unless you count me because I can't reach my back). The picture below is the usual nap time around 1:30pm.

Playing Catch Up!

This will be a post to sort of catch up on everything ........ First Tanners baseball team finished 3rd in the season and 2nd in the tournament. Lets just say that we are glad that baseball is only once a year. Tanner played great through the whole season. He played all sorts of positions , he liked playing "any position that the coach put me in".We signed him up for football, so that will be starting here in a couple of weeks.

Tanner Hitting.

Liam (Tanners UFC buddy) & Tanner at Baseball
CONGRATULATIONS TANNER!!

We have been going to Water World on an average 2-3 times a week. Many of my friends and family think I am crazy with 4 kids, but actually it keeps my house cleaner and gives me a break to keep me sane. My kids are little fishes. This is the wave pool that we usually make base. Sometimes we venture to do some rides. Our day usually goes like this...... Make base at captain jacks waves, sunscreen up and play through a couple of wave sessions... make our way to calypso cove where the kids can do some kids slides and play in the water spouts, go on the colorado river ride ( I carry the tube and Jake, while Tanner is usually in charge of holding zachs hand so he doesn't run away), maybe stop at Wally world to do some more kid slides and water toys, and then back to the wave pool. By then Zach is usually ready for a nap, I feed Jake and the other 2 go play in the waves and I chill out getting a good tan. It is great for all of us.

Captain Jacks Wave pool.

Calypso Cove.

Jake is now 4 months old. He is very remenicent of Tanner. He is 26 1/2 inches long and weighs in at 17 1/2 lbs. I am having difficulty getting Jacks picture to post so I will do that later.

We also had a great time with Martha and Cami when they came out to visit. It is never long enough. The kids had such a great time playing with Cami. We also had a nice hour visit with Aunt Raenie when she had a layover here at DIA. I can't believe how big Dallin is. He is supposed to stay like Jake is.

It has been a while. This last weekend we has a Lewis Family Reunion up at Winter Park. We had a great time. It was great to see everyone. Yes, everyone. Chris and family "stopped" by on their way to Dallas (where they are moving). They timed that really well. Rob and his family were also there. It is amazing how big his girls are getting. It doesn't seem that long ago that they were Tanner and Jayla's age. Now they are 12 and 11. Jayla was so excited to have girls around. Usually she is totally out numbered, but not this time. We found a hidden "gem" in the YMCA of the Rockies/ Snow mountain Ranch. There was roller skating, swimming, basketball, ping pong, and volleyball. For all 30 some-odd of us the total bill was $5. Not for each fam, but for ALL of us. Which works out to be 30 something cents for each of us. That is a deal. We stayed at the Rocky Mountain Inn and Hostel. Bob had rented the whole place out. All I can say is that the idea of a hostel is really weird to me. Apparently it is a very European thing. It was a beautiful place, though. I believe everyone had a great time. I wanted to post some pics, but I am to retarded. Martha, HELP!! To Chris and Wendy .... it was so great to see you and your family!

This is a copy of the email that Jeri sent. I thought it was great....
DARRELL SCOTT TESTIMONY Guess our national leaders didn't expect this, hmm? On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful. They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript: "Since the dawn of creation there has been both good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. "The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. "In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy-it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. "I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking here today: Your laws ignore our deepest needs, Your words are empty air. You've stripped away our heritage, You've outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms, And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere, And ask the question "Why?" You regulate restrictive laws, Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand, That God is what we need! "Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and reek havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact. What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws. "Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts. "As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes-He did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him. To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA - I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"

Ok, so I am jumping on the Blog bandwagon along with Raenie and Martha (although Martha's is "closed"). It is just such a great idea so that people can see how we are doing and I don't have to feel bad for not emailing people better. I just post once and everyone can check it when they want. I wash my hands of it and it falls upon the rest of you.

Life has been busy. It is not because there are 4 of us now, mostly it's because of the ages. Baby Jake really doesn't do any thing but eat and lay there. He is a very good baby. He is a champ at getting packed around. His main mode of transportation ( besides mom driving him in the car) is the double jogging stroller that he shares with Zack.

Zack is 2 now and is really the reason for life being chaotic. He is very busy playing "Ball" any kind of ball, and ""pansformers" (transformers). He is the child that is right next to us one minute and lost the next because he found something more facinating. He is the performer in the family.

Jayla is the queen in training, of course. With all brothers what else would she be. She has daddy wrapped around her little finger. She is the second "mom". Repeating everything I say..... "ya, eat your salad. Its good for you." ........." ya, you better get to your room. You are in sooooo much trouble". She just finished soccer. We don't think that will be her sport. She hasn't figured out that she needs to go after the ball. She just has a great time racing down the field. She usually gives her opponent a few seconds head start and taunts them as she passes them..." I am faster than you are!!!" Maybe we will try track.

Tanner is our growing Little man. He is currently playing machine pitch baseball. He is a great hitter, catcher and thrower. We are working on his running. His legs are quite fast as he runs in place. He has no fear of anything and never gives up. He believes he can do anything. Oh, to have that confidence. When he grows up he wants to play for the Rockies and be the champion in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Chamionship http://www.ufc.com/). He thinks that Chuck Liddel is the best and even has Chucks hair cut. He has a little buddy named Liam and they both practice so they both can get in the UFC. They are not at all influenced by their fathers!!

Well that is it for now. As I figure out how to post pics and stuff I will, so check here frequently.
BLESS YOU ALL!