School Starts

Well we made it to Santa Clara and have been loving it!  We have really been enjoying my Moms beautiful backyard.  We have discovered bugs, frogs, spiders, Praying Mantis's and our imaginations all over again.  Drake started 1st grade at Santa Clara Elementary and is spending half a day learning Chinese.  It is awesome hearing him walk around the house singing in Chinese.  He loves riding his bike to school.  Logan started Preschool four days a week and is really enjoying his class. His favorite part is centers, where they get to go to different activities around the room.  Hank and Colt get to hang with Mom and go shopping or just relaxing.  Dan is really loving working at LDS family Services and the Provo Veterans Center doing therapy.  

There have been some super amazing rain storms too.  The boys get all excited when it rains and head out to play in rain.  They have been in heaven.  We were able to get Drake signed up to do the Mutton busting in the Dixie Round up.  He did AWESOME! He scored a 79 and got a trophy.  He was so excited and Logan can't wait until next year when he is old enough to sign up.

I also decided after years of ignoring and trying to NOT have another surgery to go see the doctor about my beautiful knee.  I knew there was something floating around but was not prepared for them to say I needed my ACL done again after stretching the other one out so much it was pointless.  Thankfully I have been blessed with a high pain tolerance and a quick healing body.  It has been six weeks since surgery and I am done with my physical therapy appointments.  They therapist was very impressed with how well I did as was I.  It's a little different 18 yrs since the first time.  My body's not what it once was.  Anyway I'm excited for the next few months to get the strength back and get back to playing ball in january. 

We love Praying Mantis's

First day of 1st grade

First day of Preschool

Cute boy enjoying the rain

Heidi and the only proof of my knee

Dan, Logan and Hank making the most of a rainy day

Dan, Drake and Colt at the rodeo

Logan, Hank and me

Look at that boy!

My rodeo loving boys

Summer

Our summer was busy with saying goodbye to friends, family, and moving. It was closing one very important chapter in our family history and moving on to the next in Santa Clara.  We are going to miss our AMAZING friends the Hall family! Ana and I were like sisters, Josh and Dan were soul mates and our kids(all the same ages) were the best of friends. We also said goodbye to my parents for the next 3 yrs as they were called to care for the missionaries in the Texas Houston East mission, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints.  With their call we have been blessed to be able to move into their home and take care of it while they are gone.  We have been so unbelievably blessed in the few months because of Dan's parents serving in the Texas Dallas mission and my parents. 

My parents had their farewell the first of June so we decided we would bless Colt Kristof that weekend as well.  All of my family would be in town and it was closer for Dan's family to travel to so  why not.  It was wonderful seeing so many aunts and uncles and cousins.  I love having family around.  The kids love cousins to play with and it's fun to sit around and catch up on each others lives.

My parents entered the MTC on June 21 so of course in true Drake family fashion we had to get one last family gathering in before saying goodbye.  We rented a house on the beach in Mission Beach California and spent our time making memories on the beach and of course what family vacation is complete without a baseball game, GO ANGELS!  We, meaning my siblings and I, are still getting together so that when Mom and Dad get home it will be like old times.  We will miss them but we know that the lives they will be touching in Texas are so important right now we can wait 3 yrs.

Well the time ran out but the Neville Family had one mini vacation left.  Dan had a meeting in California the day we were leaving so the kids and I decided to go to SeaWorld.  One of the benefits of the military is the many places give a discount to military families, Sea World is one of that wonderful places and it was only a 10 min drive from our beach house.  Because I had three boys and a new born we invited McKenna to come along as a helper.  Drake is so glad McKenna came!  He had someone to go on all the roller coasters with.  Logan, Hank, Colt and I had a great time taking in all the scenery.  We touched star fish, sting rays, saw dolphins, Killer whales, sharks, turtles, penguins, flamingos, and many many more.  It was a great way to bide our time until Dan was finished and we could go pick him up.

Josh and Ana Hall

Drake and Mrs Harrison his kindergarten teacher

Stephanie and baby Colt

Having fun with cousins

Eating good food and catching up

Cousins are best

Four generations on both sides of my family

Sadly the best family picture we could

Colt Kristof Neville

Getting the tour at the Mormon Battalion

Hank disappeared for a few minutes hiking up the hillside after some birds.  It pooped him out

Mining for gold

Our first day happened to be our anniversary so we got serenaded by the Mariachi band. Romantic dance with one kid strapped to the chest and one on the shoulders.  It's been a great 8 yrs!

Grandma go Hank a Churro

Colt was nice and comfy sleeping through the game 

We love some baseball!

They got to bury Uncle Nate!

Our last night 

Beautiful Sunset

We were in the splash zone!

Hank thought this was super cool

Drake wanted to take it home

This was Logan favorite, the sting rays

We'll miss you Annie

Unfortunately the time came what we had to say goodbye to our wonderful Annie Gail.  The boys were so sad to see her go. Hank still looks for his Annie to come home to give hugs to.  We are so very grateful for Skype so we can still see her and talk to her.  She was a wonderful blessing to have in our home.  She showed our boys what it means to be a true friend.  They loved to meet her when she walk in the door.  She allowed hide and seek to happen under her bed.  She was wonderful at letting the boys bother her while she was trying to do homework.  She was always willing to watch the boys so Dan and I could get away for a few hours.  We wish her well with the all the great things she has in her future and can't wait for the day we get to go visit her in Sweden.

Annie and Tova 

Annie fell in love with the neon lights of Vegas

Disney movie night and snuggling

She was the favorite story reader for all the kids in the neighborhood

Hank loves his Annie

The Day we had to say goodbye.  Not a happy day at the Neville house

Colt Kristof Neville

Colt Kristof Neville

Born April 27th at 8:00am, 8lbs 5oz 21inches

Colt's birth was one of my regular c section deliveries but what happened with in the hour after he was born was very new to me but apparently not terribly uncommon for a c section baby.  After Colt was born and they brought him into the recovery room the nurse mention how he was making a grunting noise and to let her know if it continued.  My parents had driven in from Santa Clara to be there with us and we made sure they got to love on their newest grandchild first.  Colt was next passed to Dan and finally I got to hold him.  I had been holding him for a about 5 minutes when the nurse came back and I told her he was still making the noise.  She said she needed to take him to the nursery just for a little while so the nurses could keep an eye him.  I was then wheeled to my room and the waiting game began.

Dan made several trips to the nursery to check on Colt, my parents had to get back to some meetings so they said goodbye and headed home.  On Dan's fourth trip to the nursery he met Dr Kingo and followed him back to my room.  The good Dr informed us that Colt had liquid on his lungs which is not so uncommon for a c section baby and that they would need to put him on oxygen to help get the liquid out. Dr Kingo said it shouldn't take more than 3 days and they he would be able to come home.  No big deal right.....WRONG!  To make a long story shorter Dr Kingo had to go out of town for 5 days and in that time we had 4 different doctors with 4 different opinions and every day, basically every scheduled feeding, was something new.  I cried a lot and was stressed to the max.  I spent 4 days in the hsp just hoping they would let him go and then spent four days driving back and forth for his feedings.  Finally Monday Dr Kingo was back and before I even got a chance to say anything he told us we were going home.  Oh why did he need a vacation! So finally at 8 days old Drake, Logan and Hank got to meet their baby brother.

Here are some of Colts newborn pictures. 

Picture review of our time from February 1st- April 26th

I had a birthday and was spoiled

My three boys are cheesiers

Drake lost his first tooth!!

We went hiking in Zion's

Annie had a birthday!  The 19!

Annie planned an awesome party with a fun group of exchange students

For Drakes birthday we went over to Nellis AFB and played in the Threat Museum.  It was so much fun climbing on the tanks and helicopers.

Drake wanted a Scooby Doo cake and his brothers were more than happy to help blow out the candles.

To cap off the night we went to the drive in and watched the Lego Movie

This is Dan's birthday.  He loved his candy bar poster his boys made.

Dying easter eggs

Sitting on their new beach towels getting ready for  the hunt...

CHecking out the hiding spots

Last picture of the belly before it's gone in 7 days!

For prom Annie and a group of friends wanted to go to the strip.

Here's the group