Carli's 15th Birthday :-)

Here we go again...I simply cannot believe that Carli's 15th birthday has come and gone!!! She has had an amazing year...8th grade promotion, starting high school (driving every morning with me to school), playing high school volleyball, and having a great club season!!

and it all started here!...January 16th...1996 :-)

Here are some of my favorite photos from this last year...

Carli loves her cousin Cassie...they are so much alike!!!

At Uncle Lance's Ranch

Freshman Homecoming Dance!

One of the things Carli and I have most in common...Passion for volleyball :-)

Carli's birthday fell on a day that we had an all day volleyball tournament...kind of didn't get to give her the normal 'party'...hope that doesn't mean we have to pull out all of the stops next year!! Pizza and Ice cream cake was all we could squeeze in!

I love when they love each other :-)

Carli had a cake buddy :-)

On a side note...Craig surprised me with a last minute trip to Vegas last Friday :-) We were literally only there for about 26 hours...but had such a great time...FINALLY got Craig to sit at a Pai Gow table...there were a couple times where our group owned the entire table...which makes for lots of laughs!!! Craig was hooked...I wish I had a picture of him later...at the table by himself after the rest of us had gotten up!!

First Broken Bone! :-(

I guess with the girls being 13 and 14...having our first broken bone just now is a pretty good track record~~Poor Codi was playing out front with her BFF Tori...they were doing soft-toss with softball...Codi bent down to pick the ball up just as the same time as Tori was bringing the bat back...got Codi right on the side of the nose :-(...she came in the house and I heard her sniffling...it wasn't bleeding or anything...but I could tell by the instant swelling of the face...she had done something....we hopped in the car (poor Tori..watched us pulling out of the driveway and she was so upset herself :0( )...we went to the urgent care across the street from our house...they took one look at her and sent us to the ER...thank goodness they recommended a pediatrics ER...it was wonderful....by this time..Codi was getting very upset. She has major doctor phobia!! When we got there her blood pressure and pulse were both high :-(....The ct scan proved that her nose was broke...but said it would heal itself. She has never once complained about her nose hurting...in fact...she was in more pain from having her braces tightened that same morning!

Waiting at the ER :-(

The next morning...we nicknamed her Avatar :-) Poor thing had to sit out during her vball tournament Wednesday...I did let her go in to serve for another kid...on the drive home...she said she was tired of telling everyone the story :-)

The swelling was right between her eyes..

Christmas 2010

It is so crazy that Christmas time has come and gone again!! We had a wonderful Christmas Eve/Day with family and good friends!!

Christmas Eve before church

For the last 16 years, we have all gone back to Craig's parents and watched 'Christmas Vacation'...sadly this year we never turned the movie on...we were watching football the whole time!!

w/ Craig's parents

w/my parents...notice how excited my dad gets for the photo ops!

Cousins...my kids aren't short...Austin and Emily are just tall!!

Up at 5:30am on Christmas morning!

Christmas day grub time :-)

Em and Codi

About a month ago, Carli and Codi took on Craig and JJ in a volleyball game...it was super close...but Craig and JJ won 25-23...the girls demanded a rematch on Christmas day...the guys somehow won again...come on Bauer girls---represent!!!

Hidden Meadow Ranch!

(this post is def gonna be a 'Sandy' style post :-)--so many good pictures!!!)

This past weekend, we headed up to Hidden Meadow Ranch where Lance lives/works with the Putz and Falkenborg families. The ranch is an all inclusive ranch...all 13 of us stayed in the same cabin...it was a perfect set up for us...and was absolutely gorgeous both inside and out!!

Unfortunately there wasn't a ton of snow...we did manage to find a hill right behind the cabin that was perfect for the kids...it ended up being the perfect amount of snow for them!

Sandy, Brooke and Kaelyn getting ready to head down!

Immediately behind the cabin was a small lake to trout fish...Carli, Craig, and JJ fished for a while...too cold to be patient!!

Carli, Codi, Lauren, Kaelyn, Austin, and myself rode horses :-)

Carli getting ready to ride :-)

In the evenings, we would get all of the kids fed and back in the cabin with Carli and Codi...then the 6 of us would head down for amazing dinners!! Brian hung out with the chef on one of the afternoons to learn some of his magic! By the end of the trip...we felt like all we did was eat!

Before the food coma!!

How can you resist that face?? If I had a dollar for every time this guy said "mama"...I might have enough to add about 10 new pairs of shoes :-) ps..the ranch might be out of salt and pepper because of this little guy :-)

My little snow princesses :-) They were so good and helpful all weekend!!

Kaelyn and Codi

4 decker sled time :-)

In front of the lake :-)

The sunset was gorgeous!! Uncle Lance and the girls :-)

First Semester Over!!

It is so amazing that we are already hitting the end of of the first semester of school...the halfway point!!! It has been a great semester...especially having Carli with me along the ride every morning to school!! I anticipated me having to drag her out of bed every morning since high school starts so much earlier than grade school...That hasn't been the case...she wakes up on her own, usually before me and is ready to go when I am :-). She has really enjoyed being in high school and has done a great job surrounding herself with great friends!! It is kind of sad that my first hour with her in it will be ending tomorrow!! :-(

Some of the girls in my first hour with Carli :-)

I had interesting conversation with this group today...most of it involved taking care of nose bleeds with tampons...a few of them had to try it for themselves...I am not sure why the pad ended up on one kids' forehead!!! Is this what we call a bonding moment?? :-)This is one of the many reminders of why we teach...great kids!!

November!!!!

Seems like the month of November went by like a blur....I cannot believe it is already December and Christmas time again!!

Carli checking out the black friday ads :-)

Seems like an annual Thanksgiving tradition...these two cutting up potatoes together!

Mom got her baby fix with baby Jack making an appearance on Thanksgiving :-)

Matt deep fried a turkey and a pork tenderloin...both were yummy!!

Craig doing is annual slicing of the bird!

Codi had her 7th grade turkey trot at school...she got 10th from all of the girls in the 7th grade :-)...great running form with her hands in her pockets!!

Carli was there to cheer her on!

Codi is playing on the 7th/8th grade softball team...she hasn't played softball in about 4 years since we stopped playing AGS....their school team is young and pretty inexperienced...Codi has a little bit of experience pitching...doesn't throw hard but usually keeps the ball over the plate...she pitched their whole first game and did awesome!!!....she was so nervous~~she feels much better now that the first game is out of the way!!

Halloween 2010 :-)

A few months ago...we (or should I say Paige) found a picture of a cute costume idea in a magazine....the use of a pool ring painted to look like a donut...Codi was excited with the idea too....Unfortunately her cheap mother didn't use acrylic paint...they look super cute but the paint was peeling off so horribly...there was no way that Codi and Tori could use them to trick or treat...so they were only good for a few pictures!!!

Sprinkled Angels :-)

With the donuts out as an option...Codi and Tori quickly improvised and pulled Craig's high school football jerseys out...put some softball pants on...balloons as shoulder pads...and a softball helmet....:-) We spent the evening at Marci and Matt's...as usual, Marci made yummy chicken tortilla soup :-)

Codi and Emily (rocking the 50's look) :-)

Of course the two 'high school' kids didn't want to take the chance of anyone seeing them dressed up for halloween...they passed the candy out :=)