Renewing the Contract

The Dodson 5 has had a lot to celebrate lately!!! This year Blaine and I celebrated out ten year anniversary. We had always had plans of traveling through Europe this year but that was a plan we made before we had kids "and built a new house". We all know kids change everything and for the better!! Since this year Blaine's brother Chad celebrated his 15th anniversary and his parents celebrated their 40th we all decided to go back to Kauai where it all began for Blaine and I and have one big party. That we did!!! I always thought Bryden got his blue eyes from Papa

Sissy and her cousin Blake. Two sincere smiles, Priceless!!

One of my BFFs came over with her family to join the party. It was awesome having them there!! Love ya Beth!!

Sissy is such a glamour girl!!

So ten years later here we are. It has been a wild ten years and I can't wait to see what the next ten bring.

I would rather be here then Europe any day! Who knew??

If someone would have told me I'd have this in ten years I would have never believed them!!

So as part of this big party all three couples decided to renew their vows. It was a perfect day thanks to all of the planning by Blaines mom. Blaine and I have decided as part of our "contract renewal" we will not be adding three more kids to the mix in the next ten years however!!

This is the whole fam!!! Including Blaine's "brother" from Finland, Ilka and his family. Now, on with the holiday season! Happy Holidays everyone!!

My New Friends

As my sweet little baby lay on the couch sleeping Saturday night my first thought was "I better get him up or he will never go to bed tonight". I tried and tried and could not wake him. He must have been so tired so took a picture of him and thought "How can he look sooooo sweet and be such a monster when he is awake"? If I only new what this boy was capable of!!!

The next day Blaine had a rec league basketball game and I could have stayed home with the boys but I have been cleaning and packing for days and needed to get out of the house, so we all hopped in the car and to daddy's game we went. It was a great day until about halfway through the game it started. That ear piercing, nerve wracking, attention getting noise. It was the fire alarm going trough the whole high school. I swallowed and said a little prayer "please don't let it be my child" and ran to where a slue of kids were running around in time to see them all point at my little angle as the culprit.
I wanted to curl up in a ball and die!!! Yes everyone it was MY kid!!!! I then got to meet most of the CDA fire department, the high school principal, and the janitor as they all ran around on a breezy Sunday trying to disarm the alarm. A little lecture to me, a lecture to the three year old burying his face in my chest and peeing down the side of my leg (we went underwear that day, bad choice) and they let us go.
Has Hayden learned his lesson??? I can only hope. What have I learned? If your not sure what to do on any given Sunday, just stay home!!!!! So now I have a story for his baby book and surely one I will never forget!!! Three year olds CAN reach fire alarms!!! I am still trying to laugh about it!!!

Tick..Tock..Tick..Tock..

Halloween has come and gone and the kids are eagerly making their Christmas lists. However, we have one minor event before the Holiday Season can truly begin. VACATION!!! Mommy has eagerly been counting the days until we leave for a little sun and R&R. Tick..Tock..Tick..Tock just 5 days until Kauai!!! I can't wait!!!

Halloween Come and Gone

Another Halloween has come and gone. The kids woke with pure excitement as they broke out their new costumes to wear to school. Hayden and I attended two crazy school parties followed by pizza with friends and an evening of "Trick or Treating" or give me as much candy as I can possibly handle. The Aisan Princess, Bolba Fett and Thomas the Train are now settling down for hopefully a long falls nap!!!
I hope the kids don't wake up asking how many days till Christmas!!

Till next year!!!

Pumpkinpalooza

Excitement is in the air with the anticipation of once again dressing up and going full force toward that final goal. The biggest bag of candy they can possibly get. Halloween can always be bitter sweet since we are saying good bye to outdoor activities (we don't ski) and getting ready for the busy holidays. We did find the time to venture out to Greenbluff on a beautiful day to pick the PERFECT pumpkin. Then daddy swept in to help with carving. I put myself on picture duty!!!

Makena ahas always been able to take the insides out!!

Who gave Hayden a Sharpie!!!!

This one is my favorite. I love the resemblance in the amount of teeth they both have in their mouths.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Why Buy a New One????

Whenever I hear that someone is on their way over or stopping by I quickly check the kitchen sink, shut all of the doors in the house that I can and run over to throw my conglomeration of throws and pillows all over the sofa. Why? Because living with three kids, one long hubby, two dogs, and a cat has done a number on my sofa. It has suffered through years of tippy cups and bottles dripping on it, spit up and only your imagination can guess at what else is on this thing. Not to mention the broken arm caused by daddy standing on it to hang a picture and snapping it in half. It has served its purpose and seen better days but why buy a new one?

This is how Hayden uses it to watch cartoons!!!! He can have it for a little while longer. I am not ready to buy a new one just yet!

Why You Do Not Take Your Three Year Old Bra Shopping

I will spare all of you any photos for this blog since I feel like my boobs have been manhandled enough today. Hayden and I dropped some stuff off at the Goodwill this morning. I have to do this when the kids are not looking because everything in the boxes suddenly becomes their "favorite" toy and "we can't get rid of it". Since I was out and about I decided to hit some local stores to get some xmas ideas. Looking around, I saw bras on sale and boy could I use a few new super powered ones to hold my babies up these days. I proceeded to grab a few off the racks while Hayden is pushing the cart through the skinny aisle and knocking bras off the rack by the dozens.
As he sees a few in my hands he decides to be helpful by yelling multiple times
"Mom. Put your boobies in here!" pointing to the cart. As I pick another off the rack he yells "You got a big boobies?". "There's a lot of boobies here."
OK Hayden. I will put all the boobies back and try this again another day when I am by myself.