Family Pics Oct 2009

What is my problem?!! Why can't I keep up with this blog? For the love.
So here is our family pictures that the most awesome HEATHER MANN took for us...yes, last October. So sad that it's taken me so long to post them. We are so lucky to have her as a friend...with benefits! Heather was super nice to meet us at this totally awesome place she found. She is seriously rad and we love her. She is so fun to be around and just makes you want to smile! She made us beautiful! We can't wait for our next family pics with her! Enjoy...it's a ton of us...



Why do I have all the kids? I love this picture though...candid...


My favorite boys! How handsome!

Okay, I asked Heather to do a picture like this and she was kind enough to oblige...I'm sure after she took it she was like...um, hey Kadi, your kids are as tall as you are and so this doesn't really work for you. It's supposed to just be the adults from the waist up and all of the kids, not almost your whole body...seriously, sad.
COOL!

Grownin' up fast...
My babes!

What a nut!

My sweet sweet!(that's what I call Tyler)
Amore.

A bombardment of pictures...

Guess what! It's September now on our blog. Fabulous. So my Carterman started school! I know! We were going to wait and send him next year, seeing as how we can't afford preschool...why not do kindergarten twice! This picture was taken when he got home...I would not have sent him with stains already on his shorts...um, yes, I am stuggling with the new dirtyness of going to school...

I never thought I would be one of those mom's who cried when their kid went to school...I was always like, man, I will be so grateful for the break, but when I dropped him off the first morning. I walked him in, found his cubby for his backpack with him, he found his name at his table and sat down and I stood behind him wondering what I should do. He wasn't even looking at me. I finally leaned down and said, "Carter, I don't know what to do, should I stay or should I go?" Without even looking at me he said, "You should go mom. Just go." I was like, oh, well, okay. So, I apparently am no longer needed. I gave him a kiss and told him I hoped he had a great day and then I walked away...he didn't even look back at me. I will admit, as I walked back to my car, I did tear up...lame. He's doing great and loves school!

Oh, my sweet Tyler. He really has been such a great baby. Enjoy these next few pictures of his adorableness! He was about 4 months old in these.




And Mason...oh my Mason. He is the cutest little bug, but such a bugger! He and Carter loved helping Grandpa and Dad rock the hillside along Grandma and Grandpa's driveway.

Just being cute.

My Mason turned 3! I can't believe it! He was so funny about his birthday. We love our little tease!

It is now October and we took a trip to Seaside with my parents for a fun day! Flew kites, played near the water, and even went on the Carousel!




We spent a day at the Portland Zoo! Super fun!


More Tyler being happy...


We went to a local pumpkin patch...not all that great, mostly muddy...my nightmare.

Me and my little Tyler, who is now 5 months old in this picture. Such a happy baby.

This is the view out of our bedroom window. Mt. St. Helens and Silverlake. Is that just beautiful?! I of course did not take this picture seeing as it was sunrise...I have yet to see the sunrise...infact I love that commercial where the guys is like, what is that orange and red in the sky...that's me.

I'm getting closer...we're almost done with October, can you believe it?!

Utah!...in July...

I'm finally getting around to blogging again and no matter how much I tell myself to just start from now, I can't, my OCD swings and says I have to catch up first. So, here is our trip to Utah this last July! First though...cute Carter! He turned five and is the best! When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday dinner, he said, "top ramen". Nice...and for dessert..."orange julius"! I can handle that. We love Carter and can't believe how fast this kid is growing up!
We took a lot of pictures, but only of random events. So, sadly, I didn't get any pictures of Connor and Michal's family. Our trips crossed for about a day and it was so much fun to see them! We went to downata hot springs in Idaho. It was so fun. We even got Mason to go down the slide. Once he did, it was all he would do! They loved it!
Here's a shot of a bunch of the gang at the clubhouse, getting a little something to eat after a good swim! Look at all those fun kids!!
We also went to Lagoon! I had never been before and neither had the kids. We had so much fun! We decided to make it a summer tradition when we go to Utah. Forget the little State Fairs, we are going to Lagoon. Seriously, the kids were in heaven. Mason and his cousin Alex went for a little drive.
This is Carter and his cousin Caitlin. Carter had a good time with Caitlin there at Lagoon. He wanted to do all the rides with Caitlin!
Here's everyone on a fun train ride around Lagoon. Mason was also on the train, but he was sitting by me and I was taking the picture. Tyler seemed to be enjoying himself...um, he pretty much slept a lot...
Even Joel got in on some serious roller coaster action! Funny. Actually, we spent the whole day doing kid rides and at the end of the day he ran with Chad and Troy and Will to do some "big boy" roller coasters. Sadly, he didn't have a lot of time...the kids were so done! Next time maybe I won't have a tiny baby and I can do the rides too!
Carter and Mason loved this little roller coaster and seriously did it like 30 times. They would get off and run right back in line...round and round...they were so cute to watch on it! Mason especially made great faces!
We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house with the Fetzer's (Joel's sister Laurel's family). It was really neat...though, I have a hard time going with kids. I feel like I spend the whole time..."Don't touch that!", "Stay by us", "Are you kidding me!? Stop touching that!", "How could you already be so hungry, we just ate!". By the end of the tour I'm not so happy about eternal families...
Seriously, it was such a fun trip! Here is Mason and his cousin Andrew...I mean what else are you going to do after a swim in the pool, play the piano of course. We love going to see the Thompson family! The only one we missed out on was Cami's family...they came a little after us! Bummer. We are already looking forward to next summer...get ready for us Thompson's...
On the drive home we stopped in Pendleton, OR and saw my good friend Shelly. Her parents were so nice and let us stay at their beautiful house over night. This is wicked-awesome Shelly and her super darling little boy Tate! He is too cute...she is holding Tyler. That about sums up our super fun summer trip to Utah! Maybe in a month or two when I get around to blogging again I can tell you about Halloween...Thanksgiving...maybe even Christmas...yikes!

Shafer Fam Vaca...uh, last July

Well, this is old. I still wanted to post pictures from it though. Last July the Shafer Fam had a vacation together in Gleneden, OR! It was so much fun. We started it out with Tyler's baby blessing. We were so grateful to all those who came, especially Joel's parents, who had just been here and came for just the weekend. It was great though.
I'm not going to write a lot, just let you enjoy all the pictures. To sum up...we played at the beach. Went to the Newport Aquarium. Played some Wii. When we got back the guys went to the Ape Caves and did some exploring...even through the unkown. We just had so much fun being together. Maybe I'll write a little at the end...you know...to sign off...


sweet Tyler


Mason has sand all over his face. Sick.
Doug made a serpent in the sand...what a nut!











I love this last picture! Is Oliver just so darling!? Look at those eyes, just a ginormous (how do you spell that?) lovebug! I could just eat him up! The kids just love to be together and they play so well together. We really had so much fun and miss everyone so much! Good times!!