John Daniel

 Awww, proud parenting moment.  He's brandishing a wand!  I love it and I love him.  This kid is amazing!  I don't know what I did in the pre-existence to earn the right to be this kids mom, but it must have been something grand!

 JD is the biggest sweetheart!  He is so empathetic and compassionate.  He is so kind to the kids who have disabilities or have a hard time fitting in.  His heart is huge!

 He is also a great worker.  He likes to work and loves to help.  He is my biggest helper at the house.  He is also so mature for his age.  He's an old soul in a kids body.  He's so sweet.

JD is exceptionally bright.  He's reading way above grade level. Some of the books he reads are 9th grade and above levels.  He's a sponge.  He loves to read and he loves to learn.  He is OBSESSED with learning about wars and history.  Sometimes it drives me crazy.  I've been trying to get him to broaden his horizons a bit.

He loves Harry Potter, which his mama loves.  That was how Piper got her middle name.  JD picked it for her.  He is so good with Tyson and Piper.  He plays with them and watches over them.  He is the best big-brother.

JD is also ridiculously talented when it comes to athletics.  There isn't a sport yet that he hasn't been able to be exceptional at.  He gets that from me :).  He tries hard at everything he does and is a perfectionist.  Sometimes that's good and sometimes not so much.

JD is also very black and white.  He either likes you or he doesn't.  Rules are rules and that's it.  There is no gray area for him.  It's a good thing.  I'm trying to teach him to be in the world and that there are things he is just going to have to accept, but that he doesn't have to be of the world.

I love this kid.  I am so blessed to have him.  In a world of craziness he is a little ray of sunshine for me.

Tyson Aaron

I want to pinch this kid.  Just pinch the heck out of him, because I know it will make him laugh.  He is so ticklish.  

 Tyson is in first grade this year.  And so far it's been a great year, but it's been a little rough.  We're struggling a bit with reading, but we're working on it.

 i just love this toothless grin.  One of his teeth is growing in and it makes me incredibly sad.  He should always be toothless!

Tyson is my funny kid.  He says the funniest things.  He talks in all kinds of languages, just ask him.  He speaks, squirrel, dear, Jedi, you name it!  He has a hard time differentiating fantasy and real life.  For Tyson things like pod racers, invisibility clokes and magic rainbow rocks are very real.  They exist and he wants them.

Tyson is content to hang by himself.  He doesn't need to be entertained.  Put a hot wheels in his hand and he is happy.  He loves TV, that's a Doty thing and he would watch it for hours on end if I let him.

He still loves Spiderman and Transformers.  I don't think that will ever change.  He loves to play with friends and is really good to play with JD.  Piper drives him crazy, but that is what sisters are supposed to do.

I love you Tyson and am so proud of you!  I'm proud of how hard you try to do things and how inventive you are.  You such a good kid and I sure am blessed to have you!

Piper Hermione

 Piper is my payback.  At least, I think that's probably what my mother would say.  I'm glad to take the payback now and hopefully not as a teenager.  Although, she already acts like a teenager!!

 Piper is so head strong and opinionated.  I think it's a Doty trait!  Infact, I know it is, she takes after her daddy.  She has her own mind and it's her way or the highway.  I've learned I have to pick my battles.

 Piper is so cute though. I wouldn't want her any other way.  She is sassy and fun and can be a little crazy.  Okay a lot crazy, but again, I wouldn't want her any other way.

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Piper loves to color and loves to sing!  You can almost always see her with a coloring book and a box of colored pencils or crayons. She makes up the cutest songs and my favorite song she sings is "Highway to Hell" by ACDC.  LOVE IT!  I keep thinking I should make her stop singing it but it's so cute. Most of the time she changes hell to dumb, but sometimes she says hell and I think it's darling!  Na, na, na!

She also loves to do hair.  My hair, dollies hair, her hair, it doesn't matter.  Sometimes I think, "Where did she come from?" because I am not a girlie girl like that.  She also loves make-up and having her nails painted.  Her daddy does her nails and she loves it.  

Piper's best buddies are Addison and Adilyn.  She loves preschool and is going to be a preschool expert by the time she is done!!  She goes to school for the social aspect.  Who care what letters are and why do we need to count?  Slightly frustrating as her preschool teacher, but it is who she is! 

She loves Tangled, Polly Pockets, Barbie, riding her scooter with her brothers.  She loves the Richins across the street and when she disappears that is where she likes to go.  They pamper her and treat her like a princess over there! She  is slightly afraid of Shelley :).  Which is pretty funny to both Shelley and I!  She LOVES dogs. She will walk up to any dog and pet it and love it.  Poor Roxie takes a beating though.  Brody is her favorite though and she is going to be heartbroken when he dies.

The best thing I can say about Piper is that she is who she is and I wouldn't changer her one bit!  I love you Pip Squeak!  

Luckiest Mom Alive

I am indeed very blessed to have such a great family.  My kids amaze me every day and I am so thankful for them!

Halloween Mania

Halloween was the most insane thing ever this year!  It was on a Monday and that should NEVER happen!  Seriously people!  It was 3 day's of partying, candying, and crying (wait, I was the only one crying)! Ward Trunk-or-Treat, parties and trick-or-treating.  It was Halloween overload.

 Piper didn't even dress up this year, she just went as herself, the devil.  Oh wait, I lied.  She did dress up.  She was in her words a devil cat.

 Tyson went as Luke Skywalker again!  Seriously need to break the habit of repeating ourselves.  First Spiderman and now Luke!  Oh well, it does make my life easier.

 And randomly out of order, our preschool class.  Aren't they cute?  You can just barely see it, but I made myself a tutu and it was the worst idea ever. If you ever get an inkling, don't do it!  Just buy one and thank me later :).

 JD was............. I'm not sure.  This was a last minute costume run to Kmart and I honestly don't know who he is.  But he looked good.

 And then it was on to Tyson's party.  Two parties down, 2 to go!  We had a Halloween feast and watched a movie.  Easiest party I have ever done.  The kids loved it!

 He, he, he!  Cutest picture ever.

 Josh had this crazy idea to have me make him a SWAT vest the night before Halloween. Did I mention it was 10 pm?  Had to dig out the wonder-under and make this baby.  I asked him not to bring the paint ball gun and that did cause a major fight later in the night. It was AWESOME!

 Every year we go to Grandma & Grandpa's to trick-or-treat, unless we go to Marysvale.  The kids love it because all the cousin come out and we have a big dinner and party together.

 Taking a break!

 There is a street down from my in-laws that throws a huge block party.  They have trains, and haunted  houses.  They have full sized candy bars, homemade kettle corn, fresh made corn dogs!  Seriously fun and totally free!

 There's my cute Jedi!

Headed home.  The kids could have gone forever, but us old folks we need our sleep!

Pumpkins

 What can I say about carving pumpkins?  Hmmm, I know.  I'm not really a fan.  Loved it as a kid, not so much as an adult.  It's messy, the kids last 2 minutes and then guess who gets to clean out all the pumpkins?  You guessed right if you said, "You!"  Yep, me that's who!

 However, I love the tradition of it.  The kids love it and so I do it every year.  Promising that next year we will paint pumpkins instead.

This was the first year that my kids have all really been into it and done most of it themselves!  Yeah!  Maybe I will like it again someday.

 Truley came up to help Piper out with hers.  Truley wasn't a big fan.  She stuck her hand in this one time and then she was done :).

 Tyson is not really fan either, but I made him finish gutting it.  And then he wanted an intense spider design so I handed him over to his dad.

 JD was wielding a knife.  I have scary pictures that aren't for younger views eyes.  It was crazy, intense, but he was loving it.  Me, not so much!

I'm glad we did it.  The kids loved it and the memories are priceless. Good thing they last longer than the pumpkins :).

He's a Bear

 JD earned his Bear award in October.  He was so proud because he was the first of all that group of boys to earn it and he did it in less than 3 months.

 That is my favorite part of getting these awards.  The mom hug!  Love it!

 Dad presenting his award.

 Can't remember what we were all laughing about but it must have been funny :)

 JD loves scouts and he takes his responsibility very seriously.  He is probably the most patriotic kid that I know and scouts is a good place for him.

I am so proud of you JD and love you more and more each day!

Johnson's Pumpkin Patch

 Awww, look at those cute kids!  We went to the Johnson's Pumpkin Patch over in Santa Clara.  It's a new pumpkin patch that is at some of Josh's good friends farm.

 They had an awesome train for the kids to ride.

 They had a fun little petting zoo.

 They had games! Tyson spent all of his money in this game.  It was trying to find a nail in the haystack.  He loved it and found it every time.

 Piper was in heaven because they had horse rides and that was where she pent all of her money.

 JD looks so uncomfortable here. It's a funny picture.

 Even funnier was when they were trotting.  His face is priceless.  He wasn't quite sure if he liked it or not.

 Oh my goodness, that is the picture of cuteness!

 Piper didn't care about finding the nail, she just wanted to jump in the straw.  Repeatedly, mind you.

We finished off the night with decorating sugar cookies and eating pumpkin pie.  Well, I ate pie, everyone else had sugar cookies.  It was such a fun night and I can't wait to go back next year.