Projects and bike rides

I have been procrastinating unpacking the last of my boxes. I am trying to get used to taking care of a 3rd child on top of the regular housework and keeping the boys entertained without having them watch tv all day. Also, in our apartment in Laramie we had a built in bookshelf and here we don't, so I have been looking for one to put my books, etc on. I finally found a rather good sturdy one that didn't cost an arm and a leg. There is a place here in town called the "Food Basket," its kind of like a Salvation Army. Anyways, we went there one day and got lucky and found this......

Nate sanded it down and then we painted it a dark chocolate mocha color. The finished product looks pretty good. I still can't decide what to put in the bottom part. Any suggestions?

We also have been looking for another dresser since we had Emma and didn't have anywhere to put her clothes. Nate's boss called him after work one day and told him he found one at a yard sale. So Nate went to take a look at it and we decided that for $10 it wasn't that bad. We washed it down, Payton and Cameron helped me paint it with the left over pain from the bookshelf, and Nate got some new handles for it while he was in Utah for work. Nate was real skeptical but is pretty impressed with how it turned out. Of course he didn't tell me he was skeptical until after we were done, how like him. This is a picture of the dresser at the yard sale. Nate sent it to me from his phone to see if I approved of it.

Here is the finished product in the boys' room. They had fun helping paint it and put their clothes in it.

I have been trying to keep the boys entertained durng the day without having them watch tv all day, so we have been going to the parks and library. One of the parks is only 1/2 mile away so I have been pushing Cameron and Emma in the stroller while Payton rides his bike. I have been wanting to ride my bike too but couldn't really do it since Emma is so little still. She has been starting to hold her head up really good though lately so I tried going with her and Cameron in the bike trailer. I had to put a pillow under her so she would be up high enough for the straps to fit her right.So here is Cameron and my little miss Emma going for her first bike ride!

WE HAVE A HOUSE!!! (and other interesting tidbits to get you up to date)

It is official, we have moved into the townhome we are renting. We have the storage unit emptied out and I had Nathan put everything in the garage. So I still have boxes all over the garage but we are in! The boys and I are excited to finally be up in Pinedale with Nathan, and Nate is super excited to have something to eat besides TV dinners when he gets home from work.

Let me backtrack a little now and start from when Emma came into our lives a little early.

We got moved out of Laramie the 22nd of April and got somewhat settled with Nate in Pinedale and the boys and I in Mountain View. We were not even here for 2 weeks when little miss Emma decided to join us early and it has been a whirlwind ever since.

May wasn’t too bad, just trying to adjust to a new place and a few surprises. Emma came 3 ½ weeks early in the middle of the night. She came so fast that Nate didn’t even make it to the hospital in time to see her be born. I did have dad drive me in to Evanston and he stayed with me until Nate got there. Emma was having a hard time breathing because she was so early, so they put her on oxygen and she also had to have some antibiotics through an IV. We had to stay an extra day in the hospital because of the IV and we were sooooo ready to go when we got out. We had only been back in Mtn. View for about 30 minutes when Emma surprised us again and stopped breathing. We were headed downstairs to clean a little bit and feed Emma. I had to use the bathroom and Nate was burping Emma before we went down (she was being a little fussy). When I came out of the bathroom I asked Nate if he was ready to go down and he yelled to me that Emma had stopped breathing. I ran over and he had her face down and pounding on her back. He said she had burped/spit up and then inhaled before he could clean her mouth down. She did this 2 times. So I took her and Nate went to get her little blue bulb to suck out her throat. He got out a little but by that time she was not responding and was starting to turn purple. I yelled at Nate to call 911. He did and started explaining things to the operator. As he was talking on the phone Emma finally started to respond and took a few short breaths. By the time the ambulance showed up she was breathing better but still not very good. Emma and I both got our first ambulance ride to the hospital. When we got there they took her vitals and started to monitor her breathing and heart rate. The doctor had us get some x-rays to make sure she was ok and let us make the decision to stay or go after he said everything was ok. We decided to go back to Mtn. View and keep a very close eye on things. The rest of May was good. It was hard to take care of Emma by myself at night but I had mom and dad who helped with the kids during the day, which I am very grateful for.

Emma, Payton, and Cameron watching cartoons at Grandma Walker's house

We also did some traveling during May. The first weekend we got back from the hospital was pretty low key. The second weekend I traveled up to Pinedale to see Nate and do Payton’s kindergarten screening. Payton is super excited to be going to school and is sad he can’t go yet. The third weekend we traveled to Laramie to see some friends and let everyone see Emma. We stayed with Olivia in her new apartment and had a good time visiting. The last weekend was Memorial Day weekend and we stayed in Mtn. View and enjoyed family.

June was just as busy as May. I’ll sum it up a little more though. We had Olivia’s bridal shower on the 3rd, her wedding in Logan on the 10th, and her reception in MV on the 17th.

All of the siblings (except Devin) and our new brother in law Evan. For some reason we never seem to have a picture of us all together that is not silly!

Our cute little family at the Logan temple. Liv's colors were red, black, and white. Emma was not happy being out of her blanket.

The girl grandkids at Liv's reception in Mountain View. Lexie and Zaylee on the chairs. Hallie holding Emma, and Madison holding Kyri.

Me and my baby girl.

Emma all tuckered out from the reception.

We got to stay with Nate’s brother Jeff while in Logan and had a fun time visiting with them! Cameron had a little mishap while we were there. He was outside running around with his cousins and tripped over an uneven spot on the sidewalk. Instead of catching himself with his hands he landed face first on the bone right above his eye. It immediately swelled up and was black and blue for weeks.

Cameron's black eye.

The last week/weekend of June my parents went on mom’s twisted sister trip to Boston/Cape Cod area. I didn’t really want to be all by myself with the 3 kids so we came up to Pinedale with Nate. We explored the parks and library and Nate took the boys golfing.

We were able to move into our townhome on the first of July. So on Friday I spent most of the day moving things from Nate’s 1 bedroom he was staying in over to our new place. We had one of Nate’s coworkers help us get our beds from the storage units that night. I was so happy to have my own bed again! Saturday morning we headed for MV for our niece Madison’s baptism. She looked beautiful in her white dress and baptism suit. We are so proud of her and the decision she made to get baptized.

Emma and Madison in their white dresses. Such cute ladies.

On Sunday we blessed Emma. We weren’t sure if many of our family were going to make it because it was the holiday weekend, but we had a good turnout. Byron and his family and Jared and his family came from Laramie, Alma and his family and Nate’s parents from Green River, and Misty from Orem.

We also had all of my siblings except Chantel and her family (they were with Michael’s fam in Lovell were Channy got to meet his sister for the first time, so I totally understand!). The blessing was good and had some good food and conversation afterwards. We are so blessed to have such a great family to support us! On the 4th we had a cookout and I got to see a bunch of my cousins who I haven’t seen for a long time since we are so spread out now (from Arizona to Montana). Then we traveled back and started getting our house unpacked. The next weekend I traveled back to MV/Evanston for my cousin Stormy’s wedding. She looked so pretty and I am glad I got to come down. Emma’s 2 month checkup was the at the beginning of the next week along with the Nate’s family reunion, so I just stayed in MV instead of going back up to Pinedale. Emma is starting to grow; she weighed in at 10 lbs 3 oz and was 22 inches at her 2 month checkup. She still has most of her hair, although she is getting the traditional bald spot in the back.

Alma and Candace were in charge of the reunion this year so we went camping in the mountains above Cokeville, WY. Everyone was there this year except for Ryan who was at scout camp.

All of the Killpack cousins except for Ryan, Travyn, and Emma

Back : Joseph, Sarah, Conner, Abby holding Lilly, Erika, Nicole, Kaleb, Braden, Christopher, Kate

Front: Samuel, Cameron, Spencer, Jacksen, Kinley, Tallie, Brydnn, Payton

We were able to borrow Grandpa Walker’s trailer which was a blessing because if we hadn’t we probably wouldn’t have stayed the whole time with Emma being so small still. We had a fun time talking, riding four-wheelers, playing tug of war, etc.

Dinner time! Nathan, Kaleb, Conner, Erika, and Jeff Wilson getting some grub. Me, Emma, and Jared sitting around the camp fire.

For the tug of war it was the younger brothers against the older brothers. The young guys won. Then it was the older spouses against the younger spouses (Misty was on our team since Danielle was pregnant). The older gals won.

Jared, Joe, Nathan, and Jeff beating the older brothers at tug of war.

Then it was the younger couples against the older couples. The first tug went to the olders, the second tug to the youngers, and the third tug the rope broke in half! I was in the front on our side and the rope came back and whiplashed across my hands. I thought for a second that I might have broke something, but thankfully didn’t. My knuckles and hand were swollen that night and bruised for a few days afterwards.

Jared, Joe, Barbara, Nate, Me, and Emma Sitting in the shade hanging out

Payton and Brydnn playing in the water at Big Spring

Nathan celebrated his 30th birthday this year! We traveled back from the reunion and cleaned out the trailer so we didn’t do much to celebrate it (and I feel real bad about it). Devin’s birthday is the same day as Nate’s and his wife Amy threw a real cute birthday party for him at mom and dad’s. She used glass jars and movies (2 of his trademarks) and he grilled some really yummy food. We did sing happy birthday to Nate there, so he at least got a song. I’m still trying to come up with something for him though.

The third weekend of July we traveled back to MV again for the Ronald Walker reunion. We got there just as they were starting the mini-Amazing Race. I had to go in and feed Emma but Nate took the boys around with some of the teams. They got to do a football toss, a golf ladder toss, fishing, finding the white buffalo ( a family tradition), and a couple other things I can’t remember. It was fun to see my cousins, some of which I don’t get to see often at all. Then Saturday morning was the 24th/Pioneer days triathlon in Lyman which some people did. David, Ashley, and Tammy all did the race by themselves! Chantel (runner), Michael (swimmer), and Jordan (biker) were on a team, and Nate was on a team with Sallee (runner) and Neal (biker). He was the swimmer and did alright for only swimming once that week before the race. They all had a good time.

Ashley, Tammy, Neal, Jordan, David, Chantel, Michael, Sallee, Nate (and little Izzy on the side)

After the race we had breakfast and then headed back over to Lyman for the parade. The boys had a good time and got some candy. We came back to Pinedale that night so we could go to church here and see our new ward. It is huge by the way. There were around 60 women in relief society and that is apparently normal.

This month has started out pretty good. I got a part time job deep cleaning apartments between renters. I have done 2 apartments so far. It is nice because I clean at nights after Nathan gets home from work and it is relaxing to get out of the house without the kids. I know it is weird for me to say that cleaning is relaxing since I struggle with it, but it has been a big help. Since we were so busy in July I am still unpacking boxes and trying to get our house organized and our family settled. Sometimes I stress about it and Nate has to keep reminding me that it doesn’t have to be done all at once. I am grateful for his support and help, and for him to remind me to stay sane!

I know this was long, but I think we are all caught up now! More to come soon!

Where to begin???

So much has happened since my last post I don't even know where to start. I guess with the most recent, which may be alot. Maybe I'll do a condensed version for now.

Emma Marie Killpack decided she didn't want to wait any longer and joined our family on May 4th at 3:53am. She was 5 lbs 9 oz and 17 in long. My due date was May 29th, so I was really not expecting anything to happen yet. I hadn't even gone through all of the baby clothes and things we had been given. In reality, I guess I was not all that surprised because Payton came 2 weeks early and Cameron came 3 1/2 weeks early. Apparently she is just like her brothers. My computer is being stubborn and I can't get my pictures to load off my camera so I will put some on as soon as can.

In other news, Nathan found a job as a loan officer with 1st Bank in Pinedale, WY. We are still in limbo as far as housing goes. Nate is in a 1 bedroom apartment up there and the kids and I are staying with my parents. There is a townhome that is coming open the 1st of July that we are 1st on the list for, so we are just waiting for that unless something else opens up before then.

Payton had his kindergarden screening last week and is quite excited for school to start. I think he would go tomorrow if he could. He is always asking when it starts and is sad when I tell him not until September. He doesn't want to wait for the whole summer. He turned 5 in March and is getting so big. He lost his 1st tooth a week before his birthday and has another one that is loose. He is as active as ever and never stops. He runs everywhere he goes and has tons of energy. He is excited to play soccer again this fall and also wants to do swim lessons again. I guess I need to see when both of those things start.

Cameron is 3 now and growing like a weed, and he is always hungry. Right after he finished breakfast this morning he came over to me and told me he was still hungry. It's like he has a never ending stomach. I knew boys ate alot, but I thought that was when they were older, not 3. He likes to copy anything his brother does, but he also likes to play with his toys and carry them around with him everywhere he goes. Then he is usually asking me where they went.

I am just hanging out trying to get used to juggling 3 kids instead of 2. The boys seem to be dealing well with me having to take care of Emma before I can get them stuff or do something for them. It never fails that they ask me for help right when I start feeding her.

Just a quick one

So, I am in between loads of laundry right now and the boys are having their tv time, that equals a little spare time for me.
We found out that we are having a GIRL!!! We are so excited. During the ultrasound when the ultrasound tech told the boys that the baby was a girl they were like "Tell me something I don't know." They did like hearing the heartbeat so they got to hear it a couple of times.
Not much new besides that. Nathan is still job hunting. It is going rather slow because he is working so many hours right now. Payton is starting to want to go back to preschool again. Since Christmas break he hasn't been that interested. Cameron is right in the middle of his terrible twos. There are sometimes when he does stuff just to annoy me, and he knows it. I am just plugging away trying to keep up with housework and fighting morning sickness again. I felt pretty good from Thanksgiving until the middle of January, but these last two weeks have been a kick in the behind.

Surprise, Surprise

So we have been holding out as long as possible, but it is hard to hide now and we spilled the beans over Thanksgiving. Killpack #3 will join us in May. We are hoping for a girl, but we are super excited for either. It is quite cute because the boys didn't know and Payton came up to me and asked if I had a baby in my belly. I told him yes. He got a big smile on his face and said, "I want a sister." Then Cameron chimed in to say he also wants a sister. So there you have it.

We still live.

Hi all, yes we are still alive. I feel like I have no time to sit at the computer anymore, unless I am quickly paying a bill. But I finally have time this afternoon, so here is a quick post.
We are still in Laramie, Nate is finishing up his last semester and will graduate in December. We have started applying for jobs and who know where we'll end up. I am just happy to be taking a step forward in life and be out of the schooling phase. Nate eventually wants to get his master's so we'll be doing school again, but it will be way different when that happens.
Payton is going to preschool at one of the elementary's in the afternoons and loves every minute of it. I love to see him so excited about learning and hearing about what he does in his class. Cameron is right in the middle of the terrible two stage and loves to push my buttons. He loves Little Einsteins and carries them around with him where ever he goes. It's a good thing we have a few of them, he tends to lose one or two every now and then, but we always have some for backup.
I was working a little in Sep. and Oct. but I am done now. I am glad to be back home and trying to keep up with the housework. The boys seem to be able to wreck the house 10 times faster than I can clean, but I'm ok with that. They do a good job helping out.

"YOU'RE A GOOD GIRL"

It's official, I am a good girl.
I was cutting the boys some cheese for a snack and gave each of them 2 pieces. That's when Payton says, "Hey, you gave us each 2 pieces. You're a good girl."
Really, life can't be much better when you have this kind of admiration from your children.