Did someone say snakes!!!!

For the 4th of July we decided to go camping at Lake Roosevelt. Maybe that was my first mistake--camping with a 5 year old, a 18 month old, and a 2 and a half month newborn!!! Call me crazy. So Joel and I, kids, and my parents loaded up our boat and set sail to beach camp for two nights. Joel and my Dad went a little earlier than my Mom and I to set up some tents...the weather was so so so hot. After we were set up some campers from down the beach walked over to us to tell us that they have had a problem with these...

RATTLESNAKES!!!! Okay this is not cool! I am petrified of these things. The funny thing is that about two years ago I read an article from the Ensign about one of the quorum of the seventy who rented a house boat on Roosevelt. A really bad storm hit and they had to beach their boat. Unfortunately the beach that they were forced to stay at was infested with rattlesnakes and he told of the power of faith and prayer, anyways. This story has always been in the back of my mind since Joel and I love to go boating at Roosevelt. I guess the camper had killed two in just that day. The camp around the corner from us actually had one swim across the lake and land straight in their camp! I was dying, especially since Drew and Jenna were running all around the place and our dog Rocky was too. The funny thing is that Rocky usually runs crazy all over the hills and through the forest above us...and he did just once...right when we got to the beach. But after that he stayed in camp with his ears back the rest of the time. Well, my Sister Natalie and her little family came out to meet us for the weekend. We told them of the snake problem and late that night we were sitting around talking when Brandon needed to venture down the beach to go take a whiz...anyways, he was NOT going to take a flashlight and it was the darkest night! I made him take my flashlight (thank goodness) and he was only about 15 yards away when we see him come running back to camp saying "SNAKE!!!" Sure enough there was a 3 foot rattler about 15 yards from where we were...gross!!! I think Brando wet himself and I immediately went to bed--not to get a wink of sleep the whole night!!! Needless to say we left the next day. It was a quick camping trip but one to remember for sure. It is just funny that this is the one time we go camping as a family and run into snakes...yuck!

P.S. Wasn't I the one who said if anyone runs into a snake or gets bit it would be Brandon ( I guess you would have to know him)...and yes he did throw rocks at it so it coiled up and started to rattle it's tail.........SO sick!

Vacations, vacations, vacations!!!

Drew loved throwing rocks into the tide pools...what a boy. And by the way, pictures are in no particular order--anyone who knows me should not be surprised...right Jen and Nat.
How did Jenna get in the fish tank??? We always new she was a fish!
Dad, Jenna, and Drew
Dad, Jenna, and Drew in a giant shark's mouth
Getting ready to set sail on our whale watching cruise...more to come on the subject...

After a long trip in the car we were finally at the ocean!!! Yeah!!! What good travelers the kids were...thanks to gummy worms and movies!!!

Me and the kids at the Tillamook cheese factory....say "WE LOVE CHEESE!!!" (except for Drew is allergic, poor kid)
Jenna on a giant turtle saying, "McCombs first family vacation!"

Joel and Drew man at the lighthouse in Newport, OR.

Well it has been a while since the last post and the reason is that we have been busy playing and going on some vacations. We went on our first official family vacation to the Oregon Coast. We had a blast and it was really laid back. The reason it was probably so laid back was because my wonderful mom watched Ethan for us for the entire week!!! We are sooooo lucky that she is always so willing to watch kids and help whenever we ask...but the cool part is that she asks to watch them too! Our kids love their grandparents. Anyway we visited a lighthouse, went on a whale watching trip (but unfortunatley didn't see any whales), we went to our favorite Tillamook cheese factory and ate ice cream, looked for sea shells and played in the sand at Cannon Beach, swam a lot in the hotel pools, went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, flew kites, went on the bumper cars in Seaside and we finished off the trip by visiting my Sister Natalie, bro-in-law Brandon, and cute niece Madison in Seattle. There we swent swimming, shopping, and went to eat at the delicious Keg Resturant and Nat took us to the cutest cupcake shop too. What a time...I think I also gained about 5 pounds. While on our whale watching adventure I got sick...so sick I needed to use the porta-potty type restroom...what a nightmare. I went into this tiny little cube to take care of business and I looked down at the toilet bowl and though, "you have to be kidding me..." The bowl was so small and had no seat, or so I thought. After I was done I stood up to notice that I had not put the seat down and there was a seat! Let's just say that cruise felt more like 20 hours rather than 2 and I was soooo happy to set foot on land again!!! Other than that we had a great time. Drew is officially hooked to watching movies in the car now and any time we get in he points to the movie screen and says "oooovie." I guess he is just taking after his big sis. Jenna, after counting down days to the vacation for the past two months, is now asking..."When we go to Disneyland?" I can't keep up.

Ethan's Blessing Day!

We blessed Ethan this past Sunday, June 1st. Unknown to us that it was stake conference weekend when we set the date and since all Joel's buddies were coming in to town...we decided to bless Ethan at home. It was a really sweet blessing.

Ethan looked so handsome in his little white blessing outfit. He also wore a pair of booties that his late Great-Grandma Palmer crocheted (she passed away on March 30th) along with a blessing blanket. Here are picture of Ethan and his grandparents...too bad I forgot to take a picture of him with his parents!!!

Grandma and Grandpa McCombs

Grandma and Grandpa Shields (Amber's folks)

Grandma and Grandpa Mark

What a lucky kid to have three sets of wonderful Grandparents who often ask to babysit for free!!! I guess Joel and I are the lucky ones!!!

Like Father like Son

Need I say more???

Our little slugger

Jenna just wrapped up her first season of t-ball and she did great! I am so proud of her and very excited that she likes to play baseball so much. Fast-pitch softball here we come! She is a natural little athlete and loves to play first base. I think because that is the only position that gets constant action with 5 and under t-ball. She was one of two girls on the team and had a great time playing with her two cousins Garrett and Hyrum. Not only did she play well but she looked so dang cute doing so. Great job Jenna! And I can't forget that Jenna also graduated pre-school this last Saturday. She is dressed like a pirate because the graduation was pirate themed. She wore the hand-made (by my mom) pirate costume that I wore for Halloween when I was 7. I told her that it was a "serious pirate costume" and she kept telling people later that day that it was "serious." I just wish I had remembered the camera at the graduation.....

Which child sleeps through the night?

Tell me what you think...which child sleeps through the night...

BABY D:

He is 16 and a half months old...OR

BABY E:

He is 5 weeks old...................

And the answer is.....................BABY E!!!!

That is right...Ethan has slept three full nights in a row!!! Unfortunately his brother has not and needs to learn a thing or two from his baby brother. Anyways, I am so happy that Ethan is such an even tempered little guy who likes to sleep, a lot! Drew is rowdy and sooooo hyper some times so I feel blessed to have such a great baby. Of course I feel blessed to have such a little entertainer as well with Drew...he is very funny and keeps me running. I was going to say "on my toes" but running is more accurate. Here are some pics that my sisters have been nagging me for of Ethan and Drew wanted to get in on the action too. I have never seen a toddler actually pose for pictures but Drew does.

Notice how he has a little "beauty mark/freckle" above his lip...the exact side and spot of his mom's...it is pretty funny.

Welcome baby Ethan!

The time finally arrived and Ethan Campbell McCombs joined our family on April 18th at 7:35am. He weighed in at 7lbs. 14oz. and was 19 inches long. He is a happy and healthy little boy who loves to sleep...thank goodness. We are so happy that he is here and a part of our family!


Ethan's first bottle...thanks Daddy!



My sweet little kids...I love them to pieces!Drew ready to go home from the hospital.Our happy little family...Drew kept pointing at Ethan and saying "Babeee"