Addition and Subtraction!

The crazy crew at the Sanders Funny Farm would like to introduce the latest addition....Cooper the Raccoon! I know you must be thinking that we are crazy (it's a proven fact) but who could turn this adorable little critter away when he was needing to be cuddled and bottle fed!? We inherited him from John's cousin who found 4 of them abandoned in a hay stack and they were pretty much almost starved to death! I was very pessimistic about bringing him home, but obviously my opinion was out voted! Our kids took right to him and him to them and now they are all best friends! Cooper is about two and a half months old and still being bottle fed with a few solids being introduced. I can't believe how much they are like a real baby...he will hold his own bottle, he is litter box trained, and he plays with his hands just like a person! They really are amazing animals to watch!

Laker and Cooper attempting to play...Lake really isn't choking him! :/

Shad and Cooper

Kailee and Cooper

John and Cooper

Now that you saw the addition to the family it is time to inform you about the subtraction part of the equation! Laker has taken it upon himself to want to learn to ride without his training wheels, and after about 2 hours of practice...courtesy of Shad, he has accomplished his goal! Way to go Idaho!! I couldn't believe that he learned so fast! He was so determined and wasn't about to be the only one in the group of neighborhood kids with training wheels, so he conquered and won! We love you Kakers! :)

He thinks he is so big to be able to "pop wheelies"! He did have his first crash the other day, and got some road rash on his chin, but for the most part he is doing great! (knock on wood)

Help...I need a boost!

This is how I have been feeling for quite awhile now! I know you are probably thinking "It's called life, and being a Mom", but I feel like I am about 80 years old, and still chasing and caring for a 2 year old! I have been pondering if I should go to the doctor and demand a "life lift" or if he would even agree that there isn't any hope for a wore out old lady! On a serious note though, I am wondering if any of you have ever dealt with the "Natural" Docs out there or if you only go to the regular old family physician? I am pondering going to a kinesiologist to hear their take on the slump I am in! I have taken John before, but you really have to have an open mind, and he seriously thought I had taken him to a witch doctor and was trying not to laugh the whole time she was telling him what was wrong....so needless to say he found no answer to his problem, but I of course am as open minded as they come! ;) Hehe. Please let me know what you think, because I am curious to hear what your opinion is and why!

No pigs aren't flying, but I did update our blog!!!

I have decided that blogging is a little more beneficial than spending time on Facebook, so I am going to try to keep our blog updated from now on (more often than not) so I at least have a bit of a journal for my kids to read as they get older! I can't believe that it has been more than a year since I last updated! Can you say SLACKER! I really have no excuse other than we have lost our hard drive in our computer twice now, and getting it fixed and re-learning how to down load my photos was just a bit too complicated for me....I know excuses, excuses, excuses! I will stop now and hopefully never have to explain myself again! :)

So Kailee is now a TEENAGER....heaven help us! She is so in love with "The Bieber" it is scary! We let her have her fantasy, since she really has no other interests, and are hoping it will wear off soon! :) She went to her first ever Junior High Dance and was more than excited to go, but Mom and Dad were having other feelings about it! I got a call the day of the dance that informed me that she was chosen by her classmates to be crowned QUEEN! I was in such shock, that I wanted to cry happy tears, yet sad tears that they were being mean and making fun of her! The teachers all informed me that her classmates really like her, and this is what they wanted! I really cried then!

Here is our beautiful daughter!

Here she is being crowned Queen!

Her and the King dancing! She has quite a bit on him for size! :)

Group picture of the 7th and 8th grade royalty!

One of her many Justin Bieber treasures! I will have to post more later after I find them!

Shad is now in the first grade and he is still as full of spit and vinegar as the day he was born! He truly keeps us grounded and reminds us that kids are to be kids and to laugh at the small things in life! He has the biggest heart that is willing and wanting to help whenever the task looks ADVENTUROUS!!

He wanted so bad to learn to drive the lawn mower, and I think due to the fact that now he can start it by himself....not such a good idea! :)

Laker is the shadow of Shad, and soaks up everything that his older brother does! He truly believes that he is 7 and can do anything! The only thing that he didn't inherit from his older brother was an out going personality! Laker is still very timid and shy and hopefully will be going to school in 1 year without needing Mommy!!! He is so fun and cuddly that I am glad he has another year to spend with me at home! :)

This face doesn't really fit the description I just gave, but believe me he really is shy!!

Laker and his best friend Tori...can you just see them in about 12 years!

This is our other child....Jake. He is a 2 year old chocolate lab, and if you can't tell the kids LOVE him! He has been so fun for Laker to have around while the older kids are at school. They have really formed quite a bond! He is great and we sure like him! :)

These next few pics are just a peek at what John and the boys have been up to for the last couple of years! For those of you that know John know that he has a love for fishing....actually I call it an OBSESSION...but that is just me! Since we have the room in the house now for fish tanks he has been collecting and trading and driving me nuts with them...at one point we had 7 in the house! Yes that is right S E V E N!!!! The largest of them all is the ply-wood one that he built from the ground up all by himself it is 540 gallons! This tank was named the divorce kit while in the making, because the wife was not happy about it! I guess you can see who won that fight and yes we are still married! ;) There are lots and lots of fish and even piranhas if you call that a fish! :)

John building the "Divorce kit"

The boys helping clean it!

The final project!

John in the big tank with his "babies!"

The Sanders Boys with a couple of fish caught throughout the last couple of years!

Sorry for the extremely long and boring post, but if I don't start somewhere with all this chaos I will never get it done! Till the next time! :)

Yipee....Laker is 3!!!!

Laker John was born on Valentines day three years ago. He was no exception to the rule of me having holiday babies! He is sure a joy to have in our family and we sure do love you "Kaker"!!!
We celebrated at our house with Grandma Ula coming over and having pizza, and cake and ice cream, and then opening presents. Happy Birthday Laker!

Laker opening a present....he insisted on opening the games to the vtech before opening the vtech machine....did I mention how stubborn this little guy can be??? His way or the highway...literally!



A vtech game....what a surprise!! :)

Uncle Stacey and Aunt Ruthie asked Laker what he wanted for his birthday, and he randomly said a basketball hoop....he has never even played with one.....so that is what they got him, and he LOVES it! I guess he is smarter than I give him credit for!!

Laker and Shad blowing out the candles on his birthday cake (I, as you can see, am no Betty Crocker!)

We decorated cookies for Valentines Day and these are just some random pics of the kids enjoying their creations!

Laker ate more than he decorated, which is ok, after all it is HIS birthday!

Sledding at Rigby Lake

We were invited by one of John's co-workers to go sledding at Rigby Lake. The kids thought it was great, because the hills weren't too big to climb back up. I have to say that Steve and John look kind of mischievous in this picture, and I am thinking it was because John had "helped" Shad down the hill!

Laker and Kailee both just enjoyed sitting and eating the snow. I did warn her about yellow snow everyone! :) Laker wasn't a big fan of going down any hill, and I think he went maybe once with John and of course I didn't get a picture!

Shad is our dare devil and will try anything once. He saw some other friends of his surfing down the hill and decided that is the way it is to be dine, and he did it! He is so adventurous it scares me!

When Shad got to the bottom he conned Steve into hauling him back to the top! He gets his smarts from his Mom! :)

John and Kailee playing around with A.C.'s puppy. Aren't they cute!?

Someone is 12!!!

Twelve years ago today I was given the most awesome gift! I was given a beautiful daughter and the opportunity to become a Mom! I have to admit that there have been alot of ups and downs over the last 12 years, but none I would trade for anything! Kailee is such a special spirit that brings alot of joy to our home. She is admired by her younger brothers and she admires them just as much! I love her more and more everyday and couldn't imagine where I would be without her sweet smile and the love she is always willing to share! We love you Kailee!

She loves to play UNO. She first played UNO Flash with her cousin Taylor, and had to have one of her own!

Hannah Montana music cd! Just what she wanted and needed for her new cd player!

Christmas at the Sanders' House

Christmas at the Sanders house was quite an event considering that this was the first Christmas in our new house. Ever since my Dad passed away we have spent Christmas at my Mom's house so she doesn't have to be alone. Well this year we actually had the room to have her over to our house! It was great, and the kids loved having Grandma stay at our house!



Grandma Harris, Laker, Shad, and Kailee getting ready for bed so Santa can come visit!



Kailee has really been into music lately. Santa brought her a cd player and some cds and a bunch of other "pre-teen" things!

Shad got some video games, hunting supplies, and some toys! He wasn't so excited about the clothes, but definitely something he needed since he is growing like a weed!

Laker got some tractors and a firetruck, and other toys and clothes. He was so fun this year. I love this age and wish everyday that he would stay just like he is!