Family Update

I have been again...such a slacker with my blogging over the past few months! Here is a little of what's going on in our world!

Probably the most exciting news is that we found a house & will FINALLY be moving in to our own place!! We are scheduled to close Jan 11th. We have a few things to do to the place and will plan on moving in the end of Jan. I am so excited! It wasn't our original plan, we wanted to build, but that wasn't going to happen. And with home prices so low we couldn't pass up this house that came along. It is only about a mile south of where we are now, so we are really excited that we get to stay in the same area & be close to our friends and the school & work. I will post pictures of the place once it is finally ours. Probably do some before/after shots!

Todd-Working hard as usual, just started up company #2, Trio Aggregate Haulers, a trucking company, who starts up a new business in this economy...apparently my husband does, wish him luck with that...please!! He is still on school board, is the 11 yr old scout leader, and a dedicated dad to his 5 kids! It is also pig season now, so he will be spending lots of time with the kids at the pig barn.

Me-Busy trying to juggle the 5 kids schedules and doing quite a bit of real estate, trying to get some Christmas shopping done, and keeping up with everything around me that has to be done, I get tired of the never ending cycle of keeping up with the housework & laundry, it is never ending & consumes more of my life than it is worth! I am ready for a maid, I have told Todd I am getting one when we move, he says no way, but he would never know if I was doing the cleaning or someone else, so it looks like someone else will be, anyone know a good maid in Buckeye?! I suppose it is safe to say that being a mom has become my new hobby, some days not by choice, but most of the time it is! I am amazed at how quickly my days pass by & keep wondering where has the time gone & wishing I had more hours in the day to get stuff done.

Brennen-Living that freshman life! Spending time texting really lame things back & forth, student council, FFA, and whatever else he can get involved with that would make me have to drive to town 100 times a week! He had an amazing experience today, he went to stake conference (we did not) he was an usher. We got a new stake presidency today & it just so happened that who they put in as the 2nd counselor is in our ward & we are friends with them & he was the one who took Brennen to stake conference and was also bringing him home. They allowed Brennen to be in the room while they did the setting apart of the presidency! It was Quentin L. Cook that was here, what an awesome experience, he said the spirit was so amazing and he got to shake his hand twice. I was so glad he chose to go & was able to have that opportunity,what an amazing priesthood strengthening experience for him. Anyway he is a great kid who is trying his hardest to follow the straight & narrow!

Makenna-We just got her signed up for a volleyball team & the games start in a month. She is pretty excited. The girl is completely obsessed with volleyball, it is attached to her wherever she goes. You hardly recognize her if she isn't bumping a ball! I'm excited for her to start playing, I will be an assistant coach, it has been so long since I played, but I loved it almost as much as she does! It is pig season, so she goes to the pig barn several times a week to feed, and muck out the pens and she loves every minute of it, cracks me up! She scoops that pig poop into the wheel barrow & walks it out to the dump like nobodies business! She puts the boys to shame when it comes to hard work, she has a touch of her dad in her when it comes to that! She is doing super good in school, all A's. She is the biggest helper I have around here, without her my life would be 100 times harder! She is amazing with the boys & with Laynee, I can always count on her to get things done for me.

Garret-Tball is over and he is now obsessed with baseball and can't wait for Little League to start now that he will be old enough in the spring. He is in preschool & is doing great. I think it has been a little hard for him because he is already 5 & some of the kids are barely 4 so he feels like they are babies, his dad keeps trying to convince me holding him back will be the best for him. He loves to play his Nintendo DS & is really good at it. His new thing is riding bikes, his is just to small so he has been riding Mak's bike everywhere. I told him he should ask Santa for a new bike, he says, mom, I just can't do that to my bike, it would make him feel bad. So I try explaining the bike has no feelings, it will be fine. He wasn't convinced, so I told him it will be ok because Russ can have the bike, that made things ok, so now he wants a big bike! He is a crack up, we never know what the kid is going to say, not to mention he talks with a hick accent that people are always asking us about. Todd says it is a Hatch thing, I dunno bout that!

Russ- He finally got his glasses, talk about a pain, we keep losing them. We had to use the warranty in the first week of him wearing them. On the 2nd pair in a month! He is now doing really good with them & has learned to give them to someone if he doesn't want them on anymore. He looks so stinking cute with them on. He is talking so good now. I asked him if he wanted a hamburger to eat, he says no, chicken nugget. It was pretty funny cuz we weren't expecting anything but a yes or no. He is doing really good putting words together and figuring things out. He is obsessed with going on rides, you can't say the word ride or go, he freaks out & is to the door because he can't be left out. He loves to be on the go, if we are in the car going somewhere he is happy. He is a lot of fun and has adjusted to Nanee Jo (as he calls her) pretty good. He is almost 2 but it seems like he is 4 because he is pretty good size for his age & he just thinks he can do everything Garret does. He keeps me busy and on my toes all day, terrible 2's have arrived!

Laynee- Lately we call her Laynee Bug (like ladybug), she is the sweetest baby you could ever have! She hardly cries and sleeps through the night for the most part and she is the prettiest baby! I also call her mamma's pretty, and she always smiles when I call her that! She is growing so fast it makes me sad, since she is the last I just want her to stay little forever! We have her 2 month check up on Tuesday, I am guessing she is around 11 lbs or so. Her eyes keep changing, one day they look dark blue, the next they look brown, her hair is still dark dark & she hasn't lost any of it, not sure if she will or not! She is fabulous & I am so so thankful that we had her!

Well now we are semi up to date on our happenings! I still have so many other things I want to post, but just haven't had the time, it is 1:45am, this is the only time I have to accomplish anything in a quiet house, who needs sleep anyway, it is over rated!