Our Montana Lives: Kevin Brooke Carson Rosie Liv & Benson

Hospital Visit

2009-09-28T21:41:00.002-06:00

With a Midnight visit to Benefis Hospital, our son Benson William Pfile made his big arrival. He was born at 4:52am and weighed 8lbs. 3ounces and was 21 inches long. So far, he's been my biggest baby. He's got lots of dark hair and a calm little spirit about him. He came 5 days early and we're so glad to finally have him here.

What a Belly

2009-09-24T16:46:00.004-06:00

After returning from a baptism, Kevin took a few pictures of my belly-10 days prior to my due date. I have not posted any pictures of my belly really so here ya'll go, a profile shot of me, possibly the only one you'll see before I deliver. Sorry, I'm not good at keeping up on our blog. Maybe I'll post another just before we go to the hospital. I'm certainly ready to welcome this baby, can't wait to meet him and introduce him to the family that has so patiently waited for another little one in the home. I love being a mom, it's brought me more joy than I'd ever imagined. I feel many times so undeserving of each of my kids but am grateful for the opportunity to raise, love, teach and be a part of their lives with Kevin at my side. I'm also grateful to have parents and parent-in-laws who are so supportive of our rolls as parents and for loving their grandkids as much as they do. We're a lucky bunch!

Savannah's B-day and the sprint car races

2009-09-24T16:29:00.004-06:00

Our niece turned two 10 days after Olivia. They're like little twins, paling around liking the same things and occasionally dancing when nobody's looking. Before we all went to the sprint car races we celebrated her birthday. It was a fun night to end the summer.

Family Night of Dancing

2009-09-24T16:08:00.003-06:00

For a recent Family Night we decided to play a shuffle of different music and clear out the living room to dance with the kids. We danced to ballet music, country swing, 70's and others and it was so fun. The kids loved it, we had the front door open because it was a cool stormy night and we let the smell of rain into the house; our neighbors probably loved the show too. I'm glad when we take the time to do silly stuff with the kids, hopefully they'll remember those times with mom and dad the most.

What a Day!

2009-09-24T15:17:00.004-06:00

Carson's first day of the second grade and Olivia's 2nd Birthday fell on the same day. We walked our big 7 year old to the school, 3 blocks away, and then spent the day with Liv. It was a great day, Carson loves school and his teacher, he is a smart boy with such a creative mind. He takes after Kevin in so many ways. Liv is so curious and our snuggle bug, with every chance she's got she'll give hugs or snuggle up to whoever is on the floor to watch a show or read a book. It was a big day for the family.

Beautiful South Beach

2009-07-07T16:50:00.004-06:00

Kevin earned a trip to Miami with the company June 17-21st and I was his guest, I'm glad he chose me. It was a great last get away with just him before we welcome our baby in September. I'm so proud of his accomplishments at work. He's a hard worker and good at what he does and he deserved this trip for sure. It also came just in time to celebrate our 7th Anniversary.
We enjoyed the hotel view, spa treatments (for me), deep sea fishing, South Beach dining, and cooling off in the ocean. Being in the water and on the soft sand was a favorite part of the trip for the both of us. It was warm and clear and we found a lot of neat seashells to bring home for the kids. It was also a lot of fun mingling with some of Kevin's co-workers and manager and attending the final dinner with dancing the last night, what entertainment! There's just something about Miami that I loved, I want to go back. We've been to Vegas and Arizona and "enchanting" New Mexico and stayed at some nice places, but so far this has been my favorite destination. I think it's partially because of the rich latin culture. I loved being with Kevin on this trip and can't wait to take the kids.

We love our ice cream!

2009-07-07T16:25:00.003-06:00

Rosie Turns Four

2009-06-23T15:37:00.003-06:00

Rosie's birthday fell on Memorial Day, how perfect. We took the kids to Ryan's Dam & the island to picnic and play. When we returned home we celebrated with cake and gifts.
The things she likes as a four year old are:

Polly Pockets
Princesses
Dressing Up
Pretty Dresses
Smores
& Ice Cream

Cousins

2009-06-23T15:25:00.003-06:00

It's so nice to live near family. My kids loving being able to see their cousins and I love to spend time with my nieces, nephews and in-laws. Here are some pictures from May when Janna came to visit from Missoula with her sweet girls, it was a fun time.

Kitchen Makeover

2009-06-15T10:18:00.006-06:00

In April we started a relatively small home improvement project to our kitchen. We have been in the house for a year and decided to update the kitchen. Our friend Justin is very talented especially at tile work. He and Kevin tore the kitchen apart and re-tiled the counter tops and back splash. Kevin installed a garbage disposal and new sink. We also got a new dishwasher and now all of our appliances match. As a housewarming gift my mom got us a new gas range and gas line to our kitchen, which I love. Cooking on gas for me is much more enjoyable. Now most of the kitchen is complete, we just need to patch some holes, finish the trim and paint. It was a wonderful Mother's Day gift. Thanks Kev!

Kevin's Store Baught 29th B-Day Cake

2009-06-14T22:58:00.004-06:00

I feel really bad that I did not make Kevin's birthday cake. I know he didn't care, but it would have been nice to bake him up a cake for his special day. Anyhow this one from Albertson's looked really nice and was tasty too. Next year when he turns "30" I'll make an extra special one and post a picture of it.

Bathing Beauties

2009-06-14T22:44:00.003-06:00

Snuggling after church

2009-06-14T22:26:00.002-06:00

My kids were in a pretty quiet mood one Sunday afternoon. Everyone was mellow, which is unusual so I decided to lay on the floor and snuggle up to them. And give Carson a tickle too. I love that smile.

Favorite Book Day at School

2009-06-14T22:11:00.003-06:00

Carson had to pick a favorite book and dress up as a character from that book for school one day. He decided he wanted to dress up as Toad, from the Frog and Toad books. He loves to read and these have become some of his favorite short stories. He sure makes a cute Toad.

2009-06-14T22:06:00.001-06:00

While we were gone the kids spent time with their Grandma, they made cookies for us on V-day.

Valentine's Day

2009-06-14T21:51:00.004-06:00

More of San Diego

2009-06-14T21:35:00.003-06:00

USS Midway Museum

San Diego

2009-06-14T16:59:00.004-06:00

For a get away from the cold long winter in Montana, Kevin and I took a trip to California over V-day. My mom was so great to take the kids so we could spend some much needed us time. Unfortunately I was just beginning to feel the effects of early pregnancy. I was anticipating the trip for months, looking forward to warm So-Cal weather and yummy adult food. It wasn't what I had hoped it would be. I was sick in the air, in the airports, in the hotel and out and about. Poor Kevin had to take care of me just as we were relieved from taking care of our children. I did my best to put on a happy face, but I tell you what I really thought this would be the last pregnancy I could handle, I felt so icky I wasn't sure I could do it again. Ironically I felt the best when we were out on open water during our whale watching tour and unfortunately Kevin and most of the other passengers were sea sick. Overall I felt like poop, but loved being away with my wonderful husband who made such an effort and took time off work to be with me.
Here are a few of my favorite memories from the trip:

Driving across Coronado Bridge to Coronado to site-see
Dolphin and Whale Watching
Touring the Hollywood Hills & Star Walk of Fame
Cruising the highway along the Pacific coast
Valentine's Day Brunch with Kevin
The San Diego Temple
The Beach
Room Service: French Toast for dinner

Can I have you for my doctor Ashley?

2009-06-14T16:40:00.004-06:00

Wow, back in January when I just started my new calling as Primary President I had one horrible Sunday. I was completely overwhelmed with all the tasks that I had no idea I was going to be responsible for. Our previous president was just calm and cool and did it all without fail. By the end of my afternoon at church I returned home in shambles, sobbing and tired. I talked with one of my friends and counselors and explained the reasons for my emotional state. Later that evening on his way home from dinner our Bishop arrived on our door step with a special delivery from my friend Ashley. It was the cutest idea and it really made me feel loved! Inside was a package of my very own chocolate brownies!!!! It was a very kind and tasty end to my long day. I'm lucky to have friends like Ashley.

Painting the Pig

2009-06-14T16:27:00.003-06:00

For one of Rosie's Christmas gifts she received a ceramic piggy bank. The neat thing about it was that she could paint it herself, use it and keep it as something she made as a three year old. Here she is, painting the pig.

Christmas Card Pics

2009-03-27T13:56:00.003-06:00

These are some of the the shots of the kids the day I took Christmas Card pictures. Believe it or not it was the middle of December. The beginning of the month we had record snow and it was freezing, I think the low was close to 25 below with wind chill. This just happened to be a nice Great Falls winter day.
The weather here reminds me a lot of Denver. It'll be nice one day and nasty the next, but you can always count on it to change quickly. I think that's why I love Great Falls so much, you don't feel socked in like the way you feel sometimes in the Missoula Valley where I grew up. I love the mountains that surround you there, but they don't allow for the wind to blow the clouds and grey away.
How about summers in Missoula and winters in G.F.? That would be great!

Are you comfey?

2009-03-25T20:23:00.002-06:00

This is not the first time I've found Olivia sleeping sideways in her crib. I think she finds this position pretty comfey.

Great Horned Owl

2009-03-25T20:11:00.004-06:00

In November we took the kids to Benton Lake to look at wildlife. Just as we started our adventure we were pleasantly surprised to see a Great Horned Owl perched in a tree just off the road. The kids loved being so close to it.

Halloween

2009-03-25T19:59:00.003-06:00

Surprisingly it was not snowing on Halloween. Generally it is; it was great to walk with the older kids and push the babes in the stroller and not be freezing. My nieces Savannah(1yr. ) and Madison (5yrs.) spent the evening with us.

Wow, time to catch up!

2009-03-25T19:54:00.001-06:00

I have missed about 5 months of news around our house. I need to catch up. Kevin will be going to Reno for work this weekend so I fully intend on updating my blog. I have to post lots of pictures including our trip to San Diego and our growing family. Hang in there, posts are on their way.

Rosie says some funny things

2008-12-12T17:49:00.003-07:00

Recently Rosie has totally cracked me up. Here are a few instances where she has said some pretty funny things. Well, at least they're funny to me.

1) I was cleaning up after dinner and Rosie was discussing her new Happy Meal Toy with Carson. He held out his hand and asked if he could see it and her reply was, "No it's expensive, I got it at McDonalds!"

2) Have you seen the Smooth Away, hair removal buffer sold on TV? Rosie was watching the commercial and she said to me, Ma Ma, you could get one of those cause you have lots of hair on your legs like Daddy. She also said something like, look she is using in on her face too? I was like, wow thanks Rosie. Hey it's winter and I'm not shaving everyday if I don't have to. By the way, my hair is not as long as Kevin's.

3) We rented a sedan while our van was at the body shop having some work done as a result of someone trying to break into it on vacation. Rosie is used to our van and has not really ridden in a car before. So after we returned the car and got our van back she said, "Mom what happened to the blue squished car we were driving. Why can't we drive the squished car, I liked it?" I asked her why she called it a squished car and she told me that it was squished like a pancake and held up her thumb and pointer finger making a small gesture telling me that it was not tall like our van, but really close to the ground.

Happy Birthday Carson!

2008-12-12T07:03:00.004-07:00

Carson turned 7 on October 25th. We had a great day at the Fall Carnival in Missoula, out to eat at his favorite restaurant (HuHot) and celebrating at Grandma's house with cake. Just one year until you're baptized son, can't wait! Here's what he's up to as a 7 year old.

*Carson loves to play Mario Cart Wii
*He is very talented at drawing
*Carson enjoys reading, he especially likes to read the Magic Tree House series and Frog and Toad adventures.
*Favorite Food: Apples and Cheese Pizza
*Carson has two pet toads, Clyde and Kona
*He is in the first grade at Lewis and Clark Elem., his teacher is Mrs. Seder.
*Favorite sport: Soccer

Cousin's Halloween Bash

2008-11-03T09:49:00.003-07:00

It's great to have the cousins all together. They just love being with one another. We hosted a Halloween party for the cousins at our home and her are some pictures of our activities. We painted pumpkins in the front yard, had a costume parade around the block, played musical chairs, danced and snacked. It was fun to have them all together for such a fun holiday celebration.

Ward Halloween Party

2008-10-30T08:07:00.006-06:00

Kevin and I are on the activities committee at church. Our second activity that we were involved in was this Halloween party. Janna (Kevin's sister) and her girls came over from Missoula and our niece Madison came to the party with us. Rosie was a ghost, so was Carson, Maddie was a princess, Laynee was Belle, Janna was Lumier and McKinley was Cogsworth the Clock. Kevin and I dressed up as Sarah Palin and John McCain but everyone kept asking who we were so I won't post those pictures. Next year we'll do a better job of putting together our costumes. It was a fun evening.

Family Vacation Slideshow

2008-10-29T20:34:00.001-06:00

Family Vacation

2008-10-29T13:42:00.003-06:00

The first weekend in October Kevin and I took the kids to Texas. My dad's side of the family generally likes to gather every year in Texas or Michigan or wherever we can meet up; this year we ended up in San Antonio. Even with high gas prices, rather than flying three children down, we decided to drive, yikes, it was a loooong drive, but great to have our own vehicle while there and get to stop and see things on the way back and forth.
My dad has 7 siblings so we have lots of fun when as many people can, join in. I love being close to my aunts and uncles and my cousins. All in all we had family from Portland, Seattle, the Detroit area, Houston, and Montana. In my family food is a big part of our getting-together. So we did eat great food while we were there both at my aunt's homes and at local restaurants. On our way down we stopped at an authentic BBQ joint that was so good. The smoke house was in back of the restaurant and the smells were amazing. Before leaving San Antonio we took the kids to Sea World. It was a reward for memorizing some of the Articles of Faith. I had always wanted to go too so it was really exciting for me also. When we left Texas we drove through Albuquerque, where we used to live just out of school. It was weird driving through there again for the first time since we moved to Las Vegas. I'd really like to go back though and see some friends and the local things we enjoyed while we were there. In Castle Rock, Colorado we stopped to see our friends the Whittens. We really miss our friends there, too. Allison threw me a baby shower when I had Olivia and her husband Kevin and my Kevin were home teaching companions. We also spend last Thanksgiving at their home, thanks Ali. They're a great family who we just loved getting to know while we were in Colorado. Emilee, their daughter was also a little friend of Rosie's and their two boys Jackson and Mitchell had a good time with Carson. When we stopped however they were in school so Carson was bummed to not see them.

It was a long drive, lots of miles traveled, lots of food, lots of people and things to see and lots of fun! It was a great break from the norm and our first official family vacation. I'm glad we made it.

First Day of Preschool

2008-10-27T15:14:00.002-06:00

Rosie loves her new preschool. Two sisters from the other side of the river run it from home. Rosie's friends from Nursery, Jackson and Emma attend too so it's nice to meet new friends as well as having familiar faces to see each week.

Grandma and Carson, Playing the Wii

2008-10-27T14:56:00.002-06:00

Turning "29"

2008-10-27T14:46:00.004-06:00

My birthday was September 3rd. Just a few days after Olivia's. It was a great day, my mom drove over from Missoula to spend a few days with us and brought a yummy carrot cake that she made. She saved the frosting for Rosie to help her with. We sat around the house most of the day chatting and playing with the girls. It was so special to have her around on my birthday. That evening she watched the kids so Kevin and I could go out. How nice! So, my 29th Birthday turned out to be a great day. Thanks Mom!

Birthday Girl

2008-09-02T22:30:00.004-06:00

Olivia turned one on August 26th. We celebrated quietly at home, we did not have a 5 foot tall cake or fireworks just her siblings, mom and dad, a home made cake and a few gifts. It's a good thing we did not go out somewhere on the town to celebrate because she was not feeling great, she was fussy from a 6th tooth and getting over a cold.
I can't believe that I had her a year ago. Oh Boy! The first year just goes so quickly. I love to be her mom. She's a good little girl and makes me laugh each day. She loves to flip through books, play in the spice rack on the kitchen floor and sit outside in the grass and watch the birds. She puts up with her older siblings picking her up and moving her away from whatever they're building so she doesn't knock it over, she gently folds her hands during family prayer and generally wakes up very happy. So much of her reminds me of each of my other children, but she's so uniquely Olivia.
Happy first birthday Liv!

Liv with Grammie

2008-08-29T05:48:00.003-06:00

While visiting my mom at the end of August Olivia decided to show off her balancing skills. She stood up and sat down and played and laughed; she should be walking on her own any day now.

Cute little McKinley

2008-08-28T20:13:00.003-06:00

When Janna, Kevin's sister came to visit in August we had a great time. Kevin was around more than most visits when family comes to town. Our little niece McKinley just lit up around Kevin. It was cute to see the two of them together.

Reading outdoors

2008-08-28T19:49:00.003-06:00

The kids love to read, but we generally don't make a date of it to go somewhere to read. This Sunday afternoon in July we took the kids near the Missouri River to lay out a blanket and read together. It was peaceful to be outdoors with some good books. Pioneer Day was approaching so we checked out some Pioneer books from the library and brought them along. One of the kids favorites was, "Papa and the Pioneer Quilt".

An afternoon at the pool

2008-07-28T12:19:00.004-06:00

I had been wanting to take the kids to the neighborhood pool and spray park for weeks. The park doesn't open until 1pm, which is generally nap time so we just didn't go. Last week it was so hot that despite being a little anxious about taking 3 kids by myself to play in the water I did it. It was actually much easier than I thought it would be. We started off at the spray features and I let Liv sit as the water pooled up around her and she loved watching Carson and Rosie run through the sprinklers. Then we headed to the pool. Carson swam in the shallow end and the girls and I sat on the edge and splashed our feet. It was fun and even thought it's not as convenient as it used to be I'm glad we went. Summer just goes by so fast that we'll try to go once a week before it's too cold and snowy to even be outside.

Caution, contents under pressure!

2008-07-21T21:24:00.002-06:00

Those of you who know me well, know that I love sweets. Yes, I like to spend time in the kitchen, however rather than following my mother's example and making tasty meals you can generally find me whipping up some sort of dessert.
We invited the missionaries over to our house for dinner Friday night. For dessert I decided to mix up a chocolate sheet cake. The recipe called for baking chocolate. As I opened the container of cocoa it popped and shot a brown powder all over my kitchen floor and all over me. All I could do was laugh. I thought, darn it's just too bad this chocolate is unsweetened.

Just Like Dad

2008-07-13T20:12:00.005-06:00

So I had to add some pictures of Kevin and Carson today after church. Carson asked his dad what shirt he was planning on changing in to and after Kevin said his red and white baseball t-shirt Carson raced downstairs to his room and put his on too. Then he came up and asked what shorts he was planning on wearing, and Kevin replied that he'd probably wear a pair of white basketball shorts. Carson raced back down into his room and returned wearing an outfit similar to Kevin's. However, Carson was wearing a white pair of socks and Kevin wasn't wearing any, so he got Kevin a pair from the drawer So, here are the results, Kev and Carson wearing red and white shirts and basketball shorts as they lounged on the couch together to watch a movie. Carson just adores his dad and even loves to dress like him.

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-07-09T23:58:00.001-06:00

Kids Fish Stories

2008-07-09T15:15:00.005-06:00

So Pelican Point is a great little fishing spot to take the kids for an easy catch. The guys did not get a chance to fly fish like they would have loved, but all of their nieces and nephews and their own kids absolutely loved the time they spent together. Here are pictures of each of the kids with the fish they caught.

A great 4th of July

2008-07-08T07:39:00.004-06:00

We had a great Fourth, hope all of you did too. Because Kevin's two brothers and their wives and kids are here, we stayed in Great Falls and planned some fun activities especially for the kids. I think the last holiday the cousins spent together was July 4th in 2005 when Rosie was 4 weeks old.
After having breakfast together at our house we headed to the parade on Central Ave. It was a hot morning. We brought squirt guns to keep our kids cool and even had some children nearby asking if we would squirt them too. After the parade we went to Eldon and Natalee's house to play on the Banzai slide, play Frisbee, eat and visit. Poor Landon couldn't participate in a lot of the water activities this weekend because he broke his arm, but he had a great attitude and still seemed to have fun with fireworks and being around his cousins. That evening we had planned on going to the car races, but a thunderstorm rolled in and they were canceled, so we watched Nascar on tv and Carson and Landon had a sleepover. Saturday morning we hit the firework stands to pick up a few fireworks for the kids and then joined Eldon and Nat, Brian and Michelle and their kids at Pelican Point for fishing. Each one of the kids caught a fish or two with the help of their uncles. Even Teton, Eldon and Natalee's dog had his share of fish, I was surprised to hear that he regularly eats a few trout when Eldon takes him fishing. It was a great weekend. I was glad to get to spend so much time with my sister-in-laws and their families. It was fun to see Kevin with his brothers playing on the water slide themselves, laughing hysterically as they shared a memorable story of a watermelon eating contest at home, and helping the kids catch fish. What a great place to be, with family on the fourth, in Montana.

Back in Montana

2008-06-29T16:53:00.000-06:00

Kevin and I both grew up in this wonderful state. The mountains surrounded us, Kevin spent summers catching salamanders with his brothers in nearby ponds and streams, we floated the Blackfoot River, played baseball in dusty parks fighting off mosquitoes and the urge to keep playing although it was getting too dark. I remember sitting on our front porch to watch the sun set over Squaw Peak northwest of Missoula, having ice cream at Goldsmith's Parlor near the footbridge on University of Montana Campus as my dad spend evenings remodeling the bed and breakfast for family friends...Chicago, Phil Collins and other familiar eighties poured out of my dad's paint splattered boom box. We learned at a young age that in Montana you've got to get used to frigid car rides to and from school because 10 degrees above zero in February is pretty tolerable; Glacier National Park was a semi-annual hot spot to take the family in our T-bird or dad's forest service green work truck. Mom and Dad always warned us to keep close to each other and watch out for mountain lions. Kevin's parents drove a 1979 VW Bus, it was one of the only vehicles big enough to haul around 8 kids. That Bus is now parked outside of Kevin's parents house (the house he grew up in) with the back seats removed so that it could haul the boys lawn mowing equipment providing them with summers of employment.
I personally took for granted the life I had growing up here and it wasn't until Kevin and I moved away that I really appreciated the slower paced lifestyle. So here we are again, four years, three states and 7 moves later, back in Montana where we can reminisce about our childhood experiences, high school, and then college life as newly weds among the beauty and liberalism at University of Montana Campus. We feel blessed to be back raising our children in Montana. We love it here, it has been wonderful to have lived in New Mexico, Nevada and Colorado. We have made dear friends who have strengthened our testimonies, served and welcomed us, we have had two daughters while we were away, and have experienced things that have taught our children, especially Carson to make the best of things wherever you live. I have learned that the church is true wherever you go, Heavenly Father answers prayers and that my husband has become my best friend.