Our Family

Meeting Hannah Grace

2010-04-28T10:53:00.003-06:00

At the beginning of March I was able to spend a long weekend in St. Louis, MO. I went specifically to meet my adorable new niece, Hannah, but seeing Laura and Jon was great too!! Hannah is so cute I couldn't get enough of her. She is such a good baby and we are so glad to have her in our family!

My dad flew in for a couple of days also so we all did some sightseeing there together. Laura and Jon took us to the gardens(beautiful) and then we headed downtown and saw the arch. It was a really nice day and fun to see where my sister is now living. While we were there they blessed Hannah(something we do in our church when a baby is born). I was so glad to be there for that; it was very special.

Here are some pics from my trip. Since it has been 7 weeks since I went I am sure Hannah has changed a lot, but these pics are so cute I still had to post them!

Me with my dad,Laura, and Hannah at the arch.

Isn't she beautiful?!! Hannah in her blessing dress.

Ethan's 3rd Birthday!

2010-04-01T13:06:00.005-06:00

Last week my "baby" turned 3! We had grandparents over to celebrate the night before the big day. I asked Ethan what kind of cake he wanted me to make him and he said "surprise me". I didn't have to think too long to know that I should do a Lightning McQueen cake. He is completely obsessed with all the cars from that movie. He will sit for hours and play with them on his car mat. He was so excited when he saw his cake!! On his actual birthday we took him to Arctic Circle for dinner and then let him play on the indoor playground for a while. Definitely fun for a three year old!!

In honor of Ethan's birthday, here are my 3 favorite things about him:

*Ethan has the best personality. He is so funny and makes me laugh all the time. He knows how to make people laugh and LOVES to get a good laugh out of people.

*Ethan is so smart. I know every mom thinks their kids are so smart, and so do I!! He really understands so much; more than we realize sometimes. He has a great memory, he remembers everything I tell him. He never forgets anything so I have learned to be very careful what I tell him!!

*Ethan is such a loving and sweet boy. He tells me all the time that he loves me and is very generous with his hugs and kisses--which I love!! He gets upset if the kids leave for school before he has given each of them a hug and kiss.

Opening presents. He was SO excited to do this!

All the kids used their own money to buy him something. They were so excited to have him open their present.

Make a wish!

Ethan made sure to eat all the cake that was on the car toppers. He then decided it was more fun to dip the cars into his cake and eat it that way. No forks needed here!!

Mmmm, that was yummy!

Ethan couldn't wait to play with his new playdoh station.

Fun at Arctic Circle!

Happy Birthday Ethan! You are so loved! We can't imagine not having you in our family!!

Happy Birthday Cassidy!

2010-03-04T14:03:00.003-07:00

My sweet adorable girl turned 11 on Tuesday! I can't even stand it. She is growing up way too fast, and unfortunately I keep getting older too! It was her off year for a party so she got to pick a family activity instead. We went out on Saturday and saw the Lightening Thief and went to Applebees for lunch. Then on Sunday we had the grandparents over for cake and ice cream and to open presents. On her actual birthday Ethan and and I went to school to eat lunch with her. Then that evening I made her a birthday dinner with her choosing the menu. Then we had a couple of friends over to sing and have cupcakes and ice cream.

My 11 favorite things about Cassidy:

*sweet
*beautiful
*smart
*loves to read
*wonderful pianist
*compassionate
*great big sister
*great example to others
*good artist
*very responsible
*fun to be around

Happy Birthday Cassidy! We love you so much!!!

Opening presents!

Birthday cake just isn't good enough--she had to have a fancy cake!

I was burned out from the previous cake, so cupcakes had to do!

Cassidy with the flowers her daddy brought her on her b-day!

Funny Flashback!!

2010-03-01T17:28:00.004-07:00

Before we went to Disneyland all Ethan could talk about was meeting all the different characters--especially Mickey Mouse! We wondered if he would still be excited to meet them when he actually saw them in person--and he was!! It made me think back to the last time we were in Disneyland. The twins were almost four so a year OLDER than Ethan is now. Kaden absolutely HATED the characters and thinking about this reminded me of some hilarious pics I just had to share. Kaden would absolutely kill me if he knew I was sharing!!

2010: Ethan meeting and hugging Mickey Mouse!

2005: Kaden meeting and NOT hugging Mickey(check out the look on his face!)

2010: Ethan meeting and hugging Goofy

2005: Kaden SCREAMING while meeting Goofy! Gotta love this pic!!

I love looking back at old pics and having a good laugh! Hope you did too!

California/Disneyland

2010-02-23T15:14:00.010-07:00

A few weeks ago we were able to spend a fun-filled week in sunny CA. We went with our good friends the Atkinson's and had a great time! We stayed in Newport Beach at our absolute favorite resort the Newport Coast Villas. We have stayed here before and loved it so much and were so excited to go back again! We had a great view of the ocean and love all the amenities that the resort has to offer!! We had absolutely gorgeous weather(68 degrees) which made it hard to come back home. We divided our time there between the beach, swimming and hot tubbing, hanging out at the hotel, and Disneyland.

Taking the ferry over to Balboa Island to play at the beach and eat at Ruby's!!

What is up with Spencer's face?? Always a comedian!
Can't go to the beach and not eat at Ruby's on the pier!

We saw a sea lion while walking along the Balboa Pier

Ethan and Kennedy playing in the sand

Ethan wanted Kena to bury him in the sand.

Cassidy and Madison digging for oysters--hoping to find pearls!!
I guess you are never too old to play in the sand!
Playing in the waves

Playing some b-ball at the hotel!!

More sand!!

DISNEYLAND:

We were beyond excited about going to Disneyland for a number of reasons. First, we were going at an off time so the lines were amazing. We rarely had to wait more than 5-10 minutes for a ride, if that. There were tons of rides that we just walked on to. That was the BEST!! I will never do Disneyland again during their crowded season. Second, I was so excited to take Ethan and watch him experience Disneyland for the first time. He absolutely LOVED it!! He still talks about his favorite ride(Dumbo) and how he was mad that he couldn't go on the upside-down roller coaster with me(California Screamin'). I think he will be my daredevil. He wanted to go on all the rides, however his height didn't allow it. We will definitely have to go back when he is tall enough to ride everything. This time was much more fun also because the older kids were able to go on many more rides than they were 4 years ago the last time we were there. Having great friends with us was an added bonus too!

6 out of the 8 kids we dragged around Disneyland for 3 days. Our biggest accomplishment. . .not losing any of them!!

The carousel is always a favorite

Waiting so patiently for the long-awaited Dumbo ride!
Finally. . .Ethan's turn!!
Spencer was able to fight Darth Vader in the Jedi Training Academy
Just had to throw in a cute pic!
Ethan could have stayed in toon town all 3 days pretending to drive all the different cars

The boys in front of Mickey's fireplace

Finally able to meet Mickey

...and Goofy

Can't leave without giving Goofy a big hug!
Ethan's all time favorites and new obsession. . .Mater and Lightning McQueen!
The dads and big kids after grizzly rapids. If you can notice they all wore their ponchos so they wouldn't be soaked afterwards!
The big kids on the rockets

I just love the castle lit up at night!

Splash Mountain--the twins must be ducking since they are missing in this pic
The three youngest after meeting Pooh, Tigger, and Eeoyre

Sorry for all the pics. Sad thing is there are about 1000 more where those came from! Just looking back at all those pictures makes me want to go back already. We had such a fantastic trip and can't wait to do it again!!

A Special Day

2010-01-13T15:37:00.008-07:00

I really do have good intentions of posting more regularly, but it seems as though life always gets busy and my journaling gets moved to the bottom of the list. We had a great holiday season, but it was BUSY. We had a lot of family parties, neighborhood get-togethers, 6 house guests for 2 weeks, projects around the house, and the most important. . .Kaden and Spencer's baptism day. I really can't believe how fast our kids grow up. Eight seemed so far away, yet here we are already!

Kaden and Spencer each chose to baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We were so proud of their decision and know that they made the right choice. They actually could have been baptized in December, but with family coming into town for the holidays we decided to postpone it until January. They were baptized on January 2nd. It was an amazing day for our family. The spirit that was felt at the baptism was so strong. The boys each had a very special experience and I could see a difference in them afterwards. It makes me so happy to see what great individuals they are becoming. They are such kind and respectful boys and I couldn't have asked for better children.

After the baptism I reserved a room in our church building for a luncheon. As always, I made too much food. We had a great time visiting with our family and friends, and celebrating Spencer and Kaden. A big thank you to all of our family and friends that came and supported our family. We really appreciate all of you!!

The invites I had made for the baptism. I was so happy with how they turned out!

Our Fam

Siblings

Celebrating with family and friends!

Did I do good or what?? I wish! Thanks goes to Jerry!!

E.I.G.H.T.

2009-11-17T16:17:00.006-07:00

Since I have not been in a blogging mood lately, what better way to get me back blogging than to wish my two favorite eight year olds a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Kaden and Spencer turned eight yesterday, but we started celebrating last Friday. They invited some of their closest friends to a birthday party at Jump On It. They had a great time jumping on all the tramps while playing football at the same time!
Then on their actual birthday they couldn't believe that I would make them go to school, but I did!!! Andy had the day off of work so we picked up a special lunch for them and ate lunch at school with them. This was major progress for them to let us come to lunch with them. They are too embarrassed already to have their mom and dad eat with them, but at the last minute they decided it was okay. Then last night we just had grandparents over to celebrate by opening presents and having cake and ice cream.
Every year when November 16th comes around I somewhat relive alot of the emotions that I experienced when the twins were first born. It is no secret that their first year of their life was one of the hardest years of my life. I look back with such gratitude for the people who helped me and my family. There is a very long list of people from family members, close friends, neighbors, ward members, visiting teachers, and so on. Most of them would probably not consider what they did for me as important and amazing as I consider it. I have no words to describe the love and caring I felt from them through their acts of selfless service!!
In honor of their eighth birthday, here are the eight things I love the most about Kaden and Spencer:

Kaden:

*Kaden is my sensitive, kind, and caring boy. I hope he never grows out of this.
*My sports FANATIC!!! If there is a sport to be played he will play it. His life revolves around sports.
*He is a great big brother. He is very protective and caring of Ethan!
*He is very smart and a good student. His teachers can never say enough good about him.
*Kaden is a great helper. He loves to do jobs for me around the house!! He will make some girl very happy someday!!
*He is a great example and friend to those around him.
*Kaden does what he knows is right. He is a good leader.
*Kaden is very calm and balances out our family.

Spencer:

*My comedian. Spencer loves to get people to laugh.
*Spencer is very compassionate. He genuinely cares about others.
*Spencer has more energy than anyone I know. At times it wears me out, but I wouldn't change it!
*Spencer loves to help me with things that need to be done around the house.
*Spencer is a great friend. He always wants to include everyone in everything!
*Spencer is a great student--especially math and handwriting. His writing is perfect!! It is neater than any adult I know. His teachers always brag about what a good student he is!
*Spencer has a great imagination. He likes to write stories and does a great job.
*Spencer is always happy. Just looking at him smile all the time makes me smile. I am smiling just thinking about it!

Happy Birthday Kaden and Spencer! Thank you for all the wonderful attributes you bring into our family! I love you SO much!!

The boys and their friends at Jump On It

Anxiously waiting for their grandparents to come so they could open presents!

The boys requested a football cake

Make a wish!

She's back!!

2009-09-22T11:34:00.003-06:00

My mom returned a few weeks ago after serving an LDS Mission in Philadelphia, PA. The past year went extremely fast and we are excited to have her back with us. The day she was to arrive home the kids and I went over to her house before school and decorated it a little to welcome her home. Ethan and I went to the airport later on to pick her up. It was so great to see her again! Ethan warmed up to her immediately and it was as though she had never left. I had Andy check the kids out of school a little early and they were waiting in her driveway to surprise her as we pulled in. The kids were SO anxious to see her--it was a great surprise!! We are so glad that Grandma is back near us, but so grateful for the wonderful example she set for all of us. She served the people of Philadelphia so selflessly and I am sure she is greatly missed there!

QUIET

2009-08-21T17:31:00.003-06:00

That is what my house has been since the kids started school yesterday. As much as I miss them and the noise that constantly accompanies them I am loving my quiet house, the house staying clean for more than 5 minutes, kids not knocking on my door every 3 minutes(no exaggeration!), and some one-on-one time with my buddy E. But by 3:30 I am ready for the noise and excitement that the kids bring home. They do not disappoint!!

My gorgeous kiddos before they left for school

I told them to act like they loved each other. This is what I got. I was satisfied!

Ethan waited patiently but wanted a picture too. Can't leave Ethan out!

12 Years and 1 week ago. . .

2009-08-15T19:09:00.003-06:00

I married my best friend. I am a week late in posting, but can't pass up the opportunity to tell Andy(he probably doesn't even know how to get to this blog!) how much I love and appreciate him. Andy is the most supportive and helpful person/husband/father that I know. He would do anything for me and that means so much! We have been through a lot together the past 12 years, lots of good times to look back and laugh about, and even some difficult struggles that have made us stronger and closer. Happy 12 years Andy!! Can't wait to see what the next 12 bring!

The Carolinas

2009-08-11T16:29:00.007-06:00

We just got back from a 10 day trip to North and South Carolina. We went with Andy's family and flew into North Carolina. Andy's dad is from North Carolina and all his family still lives here. We were able to spend a day in his hometown and visit with family that we(Andy and I) haven't seen in ten years. They hosted a BBQ in our honor where we got to eat great food and catch up with those we haven't seen for so long.

Then we set off to spend a week at Myrtle Beach. Quite a few of Andy's relatives made the trek also so we were able to spend a lot of time with them!! Our condo was right on the water so we spent a lot of time at the ocean. I forgot how much I hate the sand! It gets into EVERYTHING!!! The kids of course had a blast and especially loved the waves. The water there was great because it was so warm. We also spent a lot of time at the pools. My kids absolutely love to swim. Ethan has always liked the water, but turned into a little fish on this trip. His favorite thing to do was to jump in the water, go all the way under, and then climb out the stairs and do it again. . . and again and again and again!! We definitely had to keep an eye on him because one time he jumped in and we weren't near him to catch him. Luckily Andy moved quick and got him! We were also able to fit in a little shopping, hanging out, and some good ol' R&R.

THE AIRPLANE

THE FAM
Cassie and Stephanie making the best ice cream EVER!

My FIL with his brothers and sisters

Cousins

The older cousins

The younger cousins

Cousins being silly!

FUN IN THE SUN

Golfing Gone Bad

2009-07-22T16:34:00.003-06:00

What happens when a swinging golf club meets a lip?? Unfortunately I had the privilege of finding out last week and let me tell you. . . it isn't pretty. The twins were outside playing with friends and asked to bring their golf clubs out. I said yes as long as they were careful. Not more than 20 minutes later I hear someone screaming. The scream gets louder as it approaches the house. I can instantly tell it is Kaden and I can also tell by the cry that something is seriously wrong. He comes in the house covering his mouth and blood is everywhere. I instantly think it is his teeth, but I was wrong. He moved his hand away from his mouth and I gasped so loud. His upper lip(towards the corner of his mouth) is completely split open. I'm talking all they way through the inside of his mouth and up. The lip was completely detached from itself. It took me just a quick second to get over the shock of what I am seeing. I got him calmed down, an ice pack, a babysitter for the other kids, and we headed off to the ER. Kaden was so nervous to go to the hospital, but did amazing. He was totally brave and I was SO proud of him. We had the nicest ER doctor ever and he stitched Kaden up--7 stitches total!! Let's just say the golf clubs have been put away and won't be seen for quite awhile!!!

**These pictures really don't do it justice, but it's probably better that way.**

BEFORE:
This was taken right after we got home from the hospital. He is all stitched up but still a little swollen.

This was taken 5 days later, right before we left to go get the stitches out.

AFTER:
Kaden's lip looks so much better. It still is healing--especially the part at the bottom of his lip and into the inside of his mouth. We have to give it about a month and if it doesn't heal correctly he will have to go to a plastic surgeon. Keep your fingers crossed that it heals!!

A Sad Goodbye

2009-07-20T11:09:00.006-06:00

We had to say goodbye to my sister,Laura, on Friday. She is headed off to St. Louis, Missouri with her hubby. He is starting medical school there next month. Now all my sisters live out of state and I hate it! Luckily I am surrounded by great friends who help to fill that void!
Laura and I decided to have a final girls day together before she left. We went out to lunch and then shopped till we dropped! Cassidy tagged along and unfortunately she loves to shop as much as I do! We had a great time together just us girls.
I wanted to surprise Laura with a little going away party so I invited what little family we have left in Utah over for dinner. I really thought Laura suspected something, but she was completely surprised when she saw all of us. It was great!!
We hung out with Laura and Jon one final time and I gave Laura a going away pedicure!! Then came Friday when we had to actually say goodbye. I was dreading it. There were lots of tears, but we survived. We are going to miss having them so close and hanging out with them, and of course the free babysitting!! We are so happy for them and all the exciting adventures that life has in store for them!

*My not-so-good attempt at pictures at Laura's surprise party. I was too busy hosting to remember pictures!!

Laura and Jon with my nieces

Ethan chillin' on Jon. He LOVES Jon and I am so sad that my kids won't see them very much.

The kids with Laura and Jon just before they left for Missouri

Sunny Seattle

2009-06-30T16:03:00.006-06:00

We kicked off our summer vacation with a trip to Seattle. We couldn't have had better timing. We left just in time to miss all the rain in Utah and had the best weather EVER in Seattle. It didn't rain once, which has never happened to me before when I have been there. It was nice though because it made it much more pleasant for us as we kept busy outside! We have been wanting to take the family to Seattle for a while now, we haven't all been together there since the twins were 2 1/2 years old. I have been there by myself many times. It worked out great that my niece was graduating from high school so we decided to use that as our excuse to go. We had an awesome trip. The kids were so excited to be with their cousins 24/7 for a whole week!! Here are some highlights of our trip:

Graduations x 4: My niece not only graduated from high school but also from college with an associates degree. She participated in a running start program that her school offers and was able to attend a nearby college and earn her associates. The graduations were long, but worth it! Good job Kylie!! Good luck at college in the fall!!

We of course couldn't go to Seattle without spending a day downtown. I have been going to Seattle since I was about 15 years old to visit my sister. One of my greatest memories is the first time she took me downtown. I love going downtown and was even more excited to show the kids all the neat attractions. My dad was also there and my little sister and her husband so we made a fun day of it! We took a double decker bus tour(LOVED IT!) and took the kids to the top of the space needle. Andy and I have been up there but this was a first for the kids.

The kids loved being on the top of the bus! Ethan was so interested in his surroundings and enjoyed the ride taking it all in!

It just isn't a trip to Seattle without going to. . .

SPACE NEEDLE

Ethan was obsessed with all the telescopes and had to look in every one that we passed

We also spent a day at the beach. The kids had a great time exploring. They found TONS of crabs and thought that was so neat. We ate seafood out on the pier and just enjoyed the beautiful day.

I just had to share this picture cause I thought it was so funny! One evening after all the kids were in bed we were all just hanging out downstairs at my sisters house. We were all on our laptops catching up on email, facebook, blogs, etc. Andy was sitting on the opposite end of the room and took this picture of us on his cell phone(hence the blurry picture). We were all so enthralled with what we were doing that we didn't even notice he took the picture. He then emailed it to each of us, which we of course received immediately since we were all online!!! I don't know what I would do without my computer. I can't even go on vacations without it!!!

I of course didn't have my camera for all of our fun! Cassidy and I went with my sister and her daughter and got pedicures, we cheered on my nephew in a baseball game, did I mention we attended 4 graduations!?!, shopping, and of course one of my favorite things to do in Seattle: italian sodas!!

Thanks to my sister and her fam for a wonderful vacation and a great place to stay!! Also, a shout out to my kids who were AMAZING on the trip--especially the 13 hour drive--each way!!!

All good things must come to an end!

2009-06-03T12:30:00.006-06:00

With the end of school comes the end of many other activities that the kids are involved in. Here are some of the fun things that we have said goodbye to for now:

SOCCER:

The boys LOVE soccer and always hate to see it end. They are already eagerly waiting for the fall for soccer to begin again. They played on the same team for the last two years and only lost two games. They are an awesome team!!

CHOIR:

Cassidy was able to participate in the school choir this year. She had to get up early twice a week and get to school early for choir practice. She never complained and loved it! They had their spring concert to end the year. Before the performance began the principal gave an introduction and commented on how great they were and how she had never heard an elementary school choir sound so good. In my mind I was thinking that of course she is going to say that, she's the principal. But I have to say they were OUTSTANDING!! My sister was there with us and she couldn't believe how good they were. They sang some really hard pieces and did great!

SCHOOL:

Here are the kids after they got home from their last day of school. I told them to cheer since they were done with school. Cass and Spencer were happy to do so, but notice Kaden's expression!! He didn't want to do a cheer because he was not happy that school was over. He came home so sad from school because he was sad about missing his friends and teacher! Let's hope that doesn't wear off before school starts again!

A few days before school was over Cassidy's class hosted a poetry cafe for the parents. They each performed some of their favorite poems that they had memorized. Cassidy performed one by herself and one with her friend.

I also need to give a shout out to all my kids for working so hard this year. They did a great job at school and had outstanding grades. I need to give an extra cheer for Cassidy. She was accepted into the A.L.L program next year. That is our schools version of the gifted program. She had to take a 4 hour test on a Saturday, get a good teacher recommendation, and Andy and I had to fill out all this paperwork on her. She was so excited to get her acceptance letter. I am so proud of her for being such a good student and working so hard for so many years in school.

Summer is here, let the fun begin!!

Vegas Vacation

2009-05-05T09:51:00.009-06:00

In my continuing effort to catch up I am finally getting around to posting about our Spring Break. This year we decided to get out of the cold and head south. Thank goodness we did because the weather here at home was less than desirable.
We left Monday and drove to Vegas. We stayed in a great hotel just off the strip. We were lucky that two different families that we know were headed to Vegas too. We all decided to stay at the same hotel which was so fun. The boys had a bunch of their friends to play with. I don't think they will ever want to travel without friends again. We decided to hit the pool after being in the car for the drive down. The pool area was beautiful but unfortunately the heater in the pool was broken so it was too cold to get in. Luckily the kids didn't mind swimming in the hot tubs instead! That evening we headed out to Henderson to my dad's house. We had a great time having dinner and hanging out!

Kaden made sure to bring his football on the trip just so he could play with my dad. They could have played all night!

Ethan having fun with grandpa's toys--it doesn't get better than a remote control truck!

Ethan having some fun grandpa time. We don't see my dad a lot, but Ethan warmed right up to him. He loved all the attention he got!

Cassidy playing the piano for grandpa and grandpa trying to teach her a duet.

Tuesday we braved the pool again only to have the kids make their way to the hot tubs. Water gun fights are just as fun in a hot tub! Later that day we enjoyed the M&M factory, Coke store, and ESPN sports zone(not Cassie's fav). That night we went to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe with our friends. After a great meal we headed off to see the volcano erupt at the Mirage. We also walked through the gardens in the Bellagio--so beautiful!

Wednesday we headed off to the Mandalay Bay hotel where we went to the Shark Reef. The kids loved it! Wednesday night I got to go on a "date", but it wasn't with my hubby. My dad took me to dinner and then to see the show "O". It was an amazing show. The things they can do are so unbelievable. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with my dad. Thanks to Andy who didn't mind me being gone on our last night in Vegas, and for taking all the kids out to dinner with our friends.

The hotel we stayed in had this beautiful atrium inside. It included a pond where there were two swans. This was definitely Ethan's favorite part. He was always asking to see the ducks(I didn't correct him!) The staff at the hotel was really nice and let all the kids feed the swans a couple times.

Thursday we packed up and headed for home. No one wanted to leave, we knew there was snow waiting for us at home! Luckily it had all melted before we got home that night. Andy wasn't thrilled with the idea of having to shovel snow when we got home!!

Our Eggciting Easter

2009-04-27T16:29:00.012-06:00

I have been so busy lately and have neglected my blog. I am so behind but figure better late than never!
We had a great Easter weekend. On Saturday we braved the cold yucky weather and took the kids to our city's annual Easter egg hunt. This was Ethan's first hunt and it was so much fun because he totally understood what to do. He was so anxious to get going he could hardly wait until it was time!

Right after that hunt was over we headed up to Morgan to my in-laws for yet another egg hunt and Easter celebration. My mother-in-law had a great egg hunt for the grandkids. Once they had found all their eggs they were able to go get their Easter present from grandma and grandpa. The twins got Pokemon cards(I don't understand the fascination with these but they are obsessed!). Cassidy got another webkinz(Seriously, how many webkinz can you really want?!?). Ethan got a bunch of cars and trucks with trailers that he can hook on and off. He is such a boy and LOVES any type of car toy. He seriously plays with them all day long!! The kids also got to decorate their own cupcakes. I guess they hadn't had enough sugar yet!! Thanks to my mother-in-law and father-in-law for a great day!

Easter Sunday was such a busy day! We were up and going early because we have church at 9am. We didn't have time to find our baskets before church so we did it after. Thank goodness the Easter bunny hid them really well so we didn't accidentally stumble upon them. Every year the Easter bunny leaves each child a rhyming clue as to where their basket is hidden. The kids love searching for them and did really well this year at finding them. That evening my sister Laura and her husband Jon, Jon's brother Rob, and my brother Chris(the rest of his family was out of town) came over for Easter dinner. I did not cook a traditional Easter dinner because I was also busy trying to pack us up to leave town the next day. We had a good time together! Then we were off to go celebrate a birthday at our neighbors house. It was Ethan's friend Kennady's birthday. They are so cute together--I love the picture of Kennady giving Ethan a big hug!!! Trish had a fun Easter egg hunt for the kids. We just love spending time with family and friends!

HAPPY EASTER!!

Terrific Two's(hopefully!)

2009-03-23T11:27:00.006-06:00

Ethan turned 2 yesterday! I am in complete denial that my "baby" isn't a baby anymore. These last two years have flown by. Ethan has brought so much joy and laughter into our home. He is so loved by his brothers and sister. They spoil him with lots of attention--sometimes too much! I LOVE having some time alone with Ethan in the mornings while the kids are at school. He is my little buddy and I love him so much!
Here are some pics from his birthday:

Reading books with Grandma and Cassie. This boy LOVES books!

He was a pro at opening presents!

Cass, Kaden and Spencer rummaged through their old toys and wrapped them up for Ethan.

The cake(it's supposed to be a fish if you can't tell!) I gave Ethan the choice of a fish cake or a race car cake. He of course wanted the race car cake, but then I ended up doing the fish because it was so much easier and required less time. I figured he is still too young to care and we will do the other cake next year!

Trying to blow those candles out!

He was trying so hard to get the candles out--I love the look on his face. He looks like he is going to cry he is blowing so hard. In the end he was successful in getting them out!

He LOVED the cake! He made a mess, but enjoyed himself!

Here is Ethan telling me how old he is. He says "two", but will only hold up one finger. So funny!

Playing with his new shake and go racetrack. He is obsessed with this toy!

Another one of his obsessions--dinosaurs!

Happy Birthday Ethan! We love you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-18T13:12:00.010-06:00

We had a fun St. Patrick's day. Our "leprechaun" who visits every year came again this year. He left his traditional green breakfast: green scrambled eggs, green yogurt, toast with green butter, and green milk. The "leprechaun" has been coming for years, but the kids still get so excited for it!

I was able to go to Kaden's class and help with his St. Patrick's Day party. That was really fun; I always love to help in the classrooms! I wanted to have a fun St. Patty's treat for the kids when they got home from school so I made homemade donuts with a glaze that I colored green. In keeping with the days theme instead of a regular hole in the donut I did a shamrock instead. This was my first attempt at donuts and I thought they turned out pretty good.

Then to finish off our day of green I made a traditional Irish dinner--corned beef with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. Growing up, I remember my mom making that every St. Patrick's Day and I just loved it. I have actually never made it for my kids, this was my first time. It was SUPER easy and SO yummy!

But the highlight of my day was after the kids got home from school. I was going through their school work and found a shamrock that Kaden had made. They had to write about what they would do if they found a pot of gold. This is what he wrote: "If I went down on a hill and went to the end of a rainbow and found a pot of gold I would get poor people a house, get them each a jacket, and I would give them half of my gold." That just warmed my heart! I really expected it to say something like he would buy all the wii games he ever wanted! Glad to know my sweet, sensitive, caring boy is still in there.

Double Digits

2009-03-04T16:46:00.014-07:00

I think I am still in denial when I think I actually have a 10-year-old. Cassidy celebrated her 10th birthday this past Monday. I don't know where the last 10 years have gone. They have been 10 wonderful years, she has brought so much joy into my life! Cassidy is a wonderful example in our home--especially to me! She shows so much compassion for others and is the most caring, considerate, and loving girl I know! I gushed about Cassidy in my birthday post for her last year, so I will try to control myself this time. Instead, I will just share the highlights from all her birthday celebrations.
We kicked off her birthday on Saturday with a party. We had 11 girls over for a spa and salon birthday party. It was a BLAST! I was a little nervous about the party having that many girls and just imagining them being, well 10-year-old-girls! They were all so great and well-behaved that it made the party so much fun. I had three different stations set up. I was in charge of pedicures, my sister Laura came and did makeup on the girls, and my friend Trish did their hair. We had pizza, a pinata, opened presents, and instead of the traditional cake Cassidy opted for an ice cream bar. By the time it was over we were all exhausted, but it was well worth it. A big thank you to Laura and Trish for helping me out.

All the girls, minus one, who was busy getting her hair done! So cute!

The lipstick pinata. The hook that holds the pinata up broke when Cassidy took the first hit to it. Andy bravely held it for the girls, hoping only the pinata would get hit!

Aunt Laura being crazy!

Cass and Maddie together

Laura did everyone's makeup just perfectly!

Ethan wanted in on all the action!

Trish did a FANTASTIC job on all the girls' hair. She did hair for 3 hours straight--what a friend!

Sunday, we headed up to Morgan to Andy's parents home. They invited us up for dinner and to celebrate. My MIL fixed a great dinner and ordered Cassie a Hannah Montana cake. She was spoiled by them, as usual.

Presents, presents, and even more presents!

I am so lucky that my kids have such great grandparents! They were so thoughtful to have a special day just for Cass.

On Monday Cassidy wanted me to come eat lunch with her at school. I love doing that so I was excited to go. She requested McDonald's so I brought her lunch along with one for Ethan. He absolutely loved eating in the cafeteria and getting lots of attention from all her friends. Monday was not only Cassidy's birthday but Dr. Seuss' also. The school had turned it into a birthday party for Dr. Seuss and had the lunch room decorated with balloons so it felt like a celebration for her. All of the girls at our lunch table sang happy birthday to Cassidy. The cat in the hat was also at school that day and he came over and sang to her too!

That was SO EMBARASSING(Cassidy's words, not mine)

That evening we invited Laura and Jon over for birthday dinner. Cassidy asked for steak(she has expensive taste!), mashed potatoes, and veggies(so glad my kids LOVE their vegetables!). We opened presents(again!), sang(again!), and had cake and ice cream(again!).

Cassidy LOVES the Jonas Brothers

Finally. . .the coveted iPod!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CASSIDY! We love you!

What A Week!!!!

2009-02-18T15:21:00.015-07:00

We had a very busy yet exciting week. My younger sister Laura's wedding was planned for February 14th. In preparation for the wedding family started arriving almost a week prior. My older sister Katie and her family were staying with us. It was a full house--12 in all! We knew we had a busy week ahead of us but did manage to fit in some fun time.
Andy took my three older kids and my BIL took his three boys and they all went to see the Harlem Globetrotters. The kids LOVED it. They had a such a good time and they even had decent seats!

My brother David and his family were also in town for the wedding. They have a little boy just about 7 months younger than Ethan. They came over to hang out quite a bit and the boys got to know each other a little bit better. This one particular night Ethan was climbing into the back of his big Tonka dump truck and Nathan would push him around in it. Of course, as soon as I got my camera out to take pictures they stopped. I also missed a cute picture of them giving each other hugs!

We spent a lot of time shopping and getting miscellaneous things done for the big day. Katie was the unofficial wedding planner. She has many amazing talents and now she can add another one to the list. She even hand made all the wedding announcements(all 350 of them!!). Laura just showed her which one she wanted and she copied it perfectly, you would never have known!
My big job for the week was throwing Laura's bridal shower. Laura wanted to wait and do it just two days before the wedding, that way more family members would be in town to attend--especially my mom! She was able to leave her mission in Philly and come home for a couple days for the wedding. It was SO GREAT to be able to see her even if it was just for a short time. My kids were so excited to see her and had been anxiously counting down the days.

Laura and some of our nieces waiting for the shower to start

Katie made this for Laura to display at the wedding. She actually made another one too, but I didn't get a picture of it. They were both amazing!

Ethan warmed up pretty quickly to mom mom after not seeing her for 6 months. It just took a little cake bribery and then he was ready to snuggle!

My mom's birthday happens to be on Valentine's day--the same day as the wedding. We really wanted to have some time with her so we decided to celebrate a day early. We surprised her by taking her to breakfast at Kneaders and having her open her presents there. We had a good time just relaxing and catching up and just spending time with my mom and sisters. After that Laura, Katie, and I all went and got a massage. I don't get them very often, but I really should. It is so relaxing that I don't ever want it to end! That evening we had a big family dinner in Orem where we got to meet all of Jon's family. I have to say that they are such a great family. They were all so nice and welcoming and I had a great time getting to know them.

Here are my twins with their new friend Drew. Drew is actually Jon's 11 year old nephew. Drew is so awesome! He sat across from us at the dinner and can carry on an adult conversation and is SOOOO polite. I got such a kick out of him! I thought it was so funny when they were taking our orders and he didn't want to order off the kids menu so he ordered the salmon off the adult menu! He seriously is a little adult!

The happy couple!

Ethan was excited to get to sit by Becca. He loves being one of the "big" kids. I do have to brag about him though. He sat in his chair for 3 HOURS and was PERFECT!! Such a good boy!

THE BIG DAY

I first have to say that my sister has been looking forward to this day for a very long time. She has dated many many guys and has had many opportunities for relationships that could potentially lead to marriage. I am so proud of her for staying true to what she knew she wanted in a future husband, and it definitely paid off. Laura and Jon seem to have been made for each other and we wish them MANY happy years together!

The day was absolutely perfect and couldn't have gone more smoothly. Laura was absolutely beautiful and was just glowing, and Jon was so handsome, what a cute couple.

They were married in the Mount Timpanogos Temple in American Fork and then the reception was held at the Old Historic Courthouse in Provo. I hadn't been to the courthouse in years and I had forgotten how amazing and beautiful it is. It was so elegant that it didn't need much decorating, but what Katie did was just perfect. I took about 150 pictures throughout the week and so many didn't turn out. I think it's time for a new camera!

Me and my sisters! What would I do without them?

Laura and Jon and all the grandkids on our side of the family--all 18 of them!!

These are all my brothers and sisters together. Let's just say that trying to get a picture of all of us was quite an ordeal. My brothers always have to be funny and I am lucky I got a picture of us.

In between the wedding and reception Laura had a dinner for 100 of their family and close friends. They also had a small program planned. Some friends and their parents spoke for just a minute and then Laura(who is a very accomplished violinist) played the violin while Jon accompanied her on the piano. They did an outstanding job!

The cake. Isn't is beautiful?

Laura and Jon's first dance as husband and wife. Katie noticed that through the whole dance Jon was singing the words of the song(The Luckiest) in Laura's ear. I thought that was SO romantic!

Laura dancing with my dad

They are changed and ready to start the honeymoon!

This is what they found when they left! Their friends did it and it was really cute!

Waving bye one last time! Now it's off to Cancun!

We are so excited for them to start their lives together. We are even more excited that they will be living close by until they leave in the fall for Medical School in Missouri. I sense some free babysitting coming on!!! YAY!!! Congrats Laura and Jon!

Star Valley, WY

2009-01-23T11:27:00.004-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to Wyoming with some families from our neighborhood. Greg and Brooke were nice enough to invite us up to their families cabins for the weekend. The kids were so excited to get away and to have their friends with them too! We had a great time snowmobiling and just hanging out. Ethan absolutely loved the snowmobile and didn't want to get off. Here are some pics from our fun weekend with great friends!

My Snow Men

2009-01-11T17:33:00.009-07:00

We have gotten so much snow lately and Ethan has just been dying to get out there and play in it. Every time we go out to get in the car or when we return home he runs out of the garage and immediately goes straight to the snow. The other day I decided to get him all decked out in his snow gear and let him play in it till his heart's content. I even walked him down the street to where Cassidy and a friend were sledding. Cass took him on the sled with her and he LOVED it. He just kept saying "more, more". He had the time of his life!!

He wants to be like his dad and brothers and shovel the snow!

Every time Ethan would stick his hands down in the snow the snow would stick to his mittens and he would come up with these huge snowballs. He thought it was so funny!

I think the snowsuit added about 20 pounds!

Ethan discovered the fun of eating the snow!

I have mentioned before how helpful my twins are around the house. They love to help and do a great job at it. They are anxiously awaiting the day when they are old enough to mow the lawn, but for now shoveling the snow will have to do. One day it was snowing really hard and they wanted to go out and shovel. I kept telling them to wait till the snow let up a bit. Finally after about an hour of them begging to go shovel I gave in. How can you say no to that? The other day Cassidy and Spencer got home from school and Kaden wasn't with them. They told me that he had stayed outside to shovel. I opened the door and there he was shoveling with his backpack on. He hadn't even bothered to take it off! They have been loving all the snow and I have been loving all the help!

Our Christmas Wrap-Up

2009-01-05T17:10:00.008-07:00

We have been so busy the last few weeks with all our fun Christmas activities that I have fallen behind on my blogging. In an effort to get caught up before next Christmas, I will hit on a couple of our highlights from the holidays. Warning: LOTS of pictures!!
The kids were off of school for over two weeks and Andy had the same amount of time off of work. I had all these ideas of fun things we would do as a family to fill the time, but we only got around to one of them!!
We had a fun family party up in Morgan(where Andy is from and where his parents still live). We do this every year with his mom's side of the family. We have a great meal, play Christmas bingo, play Christmas carols on kazoos, and everyone opens a present.

The whole fam

Ethan got an Elmo Live toy. He was not so sure about it when it was talking and moving. He had fun watching it move and trying to copy what it did.

Getting used to elmo and being brave enough to touch it!

The kids and their loot!

We went back to Andy's parents house after the party. The boys were anxious to play their new gameboy games and wasted no time doing so. Their cousin Lily wanted to see too so she crawled over to Spencer and laid on him like this while he played. I thought this was so funny!

Andy's parents and brother came down to spend Christmas Eve with us. I fixed a ham dinner and we ate too much! We were so full we could barely eat dessert! We read the story of Christ's birth in the Bible, watched a short 5 minute DVD depicting the birth of Jesus called the Nativity. We watch it every year, it is one of my favorites! Then it was time for the kids to open their traditional Christmas Eve present of pajamas.

The kids in their new pajama's.

They always have to do a silly face picture!

We ended Christmas Eve with a story by the tree. We tried to do this every night while the tree was up. The kids would take turns picking a Christmas book and we would snuggle under the tree for a bit while we read.

We spent Christmas morning at home. Santa brought the kids a Wii and they were SUPER EXCITED!!! We have had so much fun playing games together. We spent the rest of Christmas Day with Andy's family. We had a wonderful holiday season and love all the time we got to spend with our families!

Reading some of his new books with Grandpa John. Ethan would look at books all day if he could!

Having a Christmas snack with his cousin Avery

I had to add this picture because I thought it was too cute! On one of our MANY trips up north Kaden was listening to his IPOD. Ethan loves music and wanted to listen too. Kaden was sweet enough to share one of his ear buds. Ethan just zoned out and listened for quite a while!

We got Elfed!

2008-12-18T17:57:00.001-07:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Worth the Wait

2008-12-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we decided to venture to the mall and see Santa. The past two years when we have gone we have really lucked out. There was hardly anyone in line and we got to see Santa really quick. We knew it was too good to be true and to happen a third year in a row, and we were right!! When we got to the mall the line didn't look horribly long but it moved so slow. We debated whether or not to stick it out, but are glad we chose to bear the 90 minute wait! We thought for sure Ethan would not be happy to see Santa and would probably cry for him. We were totally wrong. He sat on Cassidy's lap and did great! He kept staring at Santa, couldn't quite figure him out. The promise of a candy cane may have helped a little! Watching the excitement on the kids faces made it really worth the wait!!

Christmas Concerts

2008-12-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

With this time of year comes lots of performances, concerts, recitals, etc. Cassidy had two performances this past week, both of which really added to our Christmas spirit.
Her first performance was the school choir concert. Cassidy was so excited to be able to join the choir this year. It is only for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders. She has always loved to sing so it was a great opportunity for her. She has been very dedicated, getting up early twice a week, so that she can make it to choir on time--they meet an hour before school starts. They sang seven songs, and they all sounded great! One of the songs was in Latin and one in Hebrew--I was impressed!!

The fam before we left for the concert

For some reason Ethan kept smiling AFTER I would take the picture. So I hurried and took this one right after while he was smiling so big!

Andy's parents drove over an hour just for the concert! I love having such supportive grandparents!

Cassidy is on the front row right in the middle

Cassidy and her friend Tatumn after their concert!

The second performance we were able to attend was really really neat. Cassidy's piano teacher chose only 8 of her students(out of almost 60), to have a small, spiritual, Christmas recital. I have to admit that I was not too excited to have to go. Her piano recitals tend to drag on and on and you really only want to hear your child(rude, but true). I was pleasantly surprised by this particular recital. Her teacher had all the students pick some beautiful Christmas music, it was such a special night. Cassidy has started playing out of the LDS hymn book and the LDS primary hymn book, so she chose to play "Picture a Christmas", and "He Sent His Son". If you aren't familiar with those songs, "He Sent His Son" is a very very difficult piece. To make things even harder her teacher wanted her to accompany someone singing. Cassidy asked her friend Madison to do that. They practiced so hard and it really paid off. They did a wonderful job--it brought tears to my eyes!

They both looked so beautiful in their Christmas dresses!

Cassidy's teacher had her and Madison close the evening by singing a duet of Silent Night, then the audience joined in on the last verse. She definitely doesn't have stage fright like her mom!

Thanks to my wonderful friend Trish who watched all my boys plus her kids(6 kids total)so we could enjoy this great evening with Cassidy.

Tis the Season!

2008-12-10T16:02:00.002-07:00

I absolutely love the Christmas season! One of my favorite things about this time of year is all the extra time we get to spend with family! We kicked off the holiday season on Saturday with a family party. Most of my family will not be in town this year for Christmas so we decided to celebrate a little early. We have actually had this family party for a couple years now. It is always fun to be with everyone and this year was no exception! A big thank you to my brother Chris and his wife Julie for hosting, they always do a great job. We had a great dinner, a fun talent show, and even more fun doing a white elephant gift exchange. Laura started the talent show idea a couple years ago and it is such a success! I always pawn the talent portion off onto my kids. This year Cassidy played the piano. She always does a great job and amazes everyone at how well she can play! Kaden decided to read a Christmas story to everyone and did a wonderful job. His nerves got to him right before it was his turn so I promised to sit with him and luckily that helped. Since Spencer is our resident comedian we though it would be appropriate for him to tell Christmas jokes. He did a great job up there, no nerves at all, and even stumped us on most of the answers! It is such a fun tradition that we have started. Here are some pics from our fun-filled night:
Sorry to those of you(Dad, Laura & Jon, Kevin's fam) whose pictures aren't shown. My camera was being weird and some of them came out so dark you couldn't see anything.

Our wonderful holiday meal!

All the kids were putting this tinsel on their heads, so of course Ethan had to be in on the action too!

Cassidy playing fabulously!

My niece Elly narrating the hilarious skit that my brother wrote!

Julie playing, she did an outstanding job!

My cute little nieces, Sophie and Liza, singing Away in a Manger!

My little comedian, he will do anything for a laugh!

The white elephant gift exchange, my favorite!

My brother Chris modeling the awesome 1970's sweater he got!!

We did miss Katie's family and David's family(who live out of state), and of course we missed Mom! It was weird not to have her there but we were definitely thinking of her!

Birthday Bash!

2008-11-22T15:23:00.004-07:00

The boys really had a full week of celebrations for their birthday. It started off last Friday night when their cousin Sophie came to spend the weekend with them. Since it is their off year for a party they got to choose a restaurant to go to for dinner and an activity to do as a family. This year they chose Red Robin and ice skating. We had a great dinner and were joined by Laura and Jon. After dinner we all went ice skating. The kids did great. They started out a little nervous and were holding on to the side for help, but by the end of the night they were all skating by themselves. Spencer is the only one who hadn't been skating before so it was a little more difficult for him. He took a really bad fall on the ice and that was it for him. Hopefully he will try again another time.

Sunday was the boys actual birthday and we thought we would celebrate by having our extended family over for cake and ice cream. The only problem: none of them could come--except for Andy's parents!! We ended up just having a bunch of our good friends from the neighborhood over instead. We had a great time just visiting, eating, and letting the kids play!

Look at this great Jazz cake I made--NOT! My MIL actually thought I made this, which I will take as a compliment that she thinks I am capable of even making something this nice! I need to say a HUGE thank you to our friends Jerry and Vickie for the AWESOME(as the boys would say)cake!

The boys showing off their favorite gift--IPOD Shuffles

Such handsome boys!

Fun with friends!

Here is the perfect example of how helpful Kaden is. After everyone left on Sunday I was busy cleaning up the kitchen. He came down and got out the vacuum and set it up and starting vacuuming the kitchen without even being asked to!

On Monday Ethan and I got to go to the school and take birthday treats in to Kaden and Spencer's classes. Ethan loved seeing his brothers at school and even got to be a "big kid" and sit with Spencer at his desk while we were in his class.

The boys finished up their birthday celebrations Friday night. My dad flew in to town on Thursday to take the boys to a hockey game on Friday night. The boys LOVED every minutes of it!

What a couple of spoiled 7 year olds!!

Where have the last SEVEN years gone??

2008-11-16T21:26:00.002-07:00

I am really having a hard time believing that my twins are 7 years old. The time has gone way too fast. We have a tradition that on our kids birthdays we watch their videos from after they were born. They love seeing themselves as little babies. It was kind of emotional to watch the video tonight. It brought back a lot of memories. Here is just a quick story of what happened seven years ago today.
I was 38 1/2 weeks along and set to be induced on Nov. 16th. I was supposed to go in to the hospital fairly early in the morning. My mom had stayed at our house the night before so she could take care of Cassidy. The hospital called that morning and told us that they were really full and they would call us when there was room. The day dragged on and on with no call from the hospital. We finally got the call around 4pm that afternoon that we could come in. We left immediately for the hospital. When we got there they told us that they had tried to call us back and tell us not to come because they had gotten really busy again, but since we were already there we could stay--THANK GOODNESS! I was put on pitocin around 5pm, and Kaden was born at 9:01pm, and Spencer was born at 9:08pm. The thing that stands out the most in my mind is that my epidural didn't work at all!!!! It was the most painful thing ever, but worth it! We were so lucky to have two healthy baby boys. Kaden weighed in at 6lbs 12oz, and Spencer was 7lbs 2oz.
The first year was a complete blur. I really don't remember a lot because I think I blocked a lot of it out. It was extremely HARD. Before I had them I knew it would be hard, I mean double everything of a baby sounds difficult. But until you actually have to do it you don't realize how exhausting it really is. But I am happy to say we all survived!! I am so blessed to have these two sweet boys in my life. They have brought so much joy(and noise) into our home. Kaden is my sweet protective one. He loves to help me and is so caring. Spencer is our little comedian. He loves to get a good laugh out of people. He has a great imagination, his little mind is always working.
Happy Birthday Kaden and Spencer!! I love more than you can imagine!!!!!!

Here are some pictures of the twins!
THEN:

NOW:

Tagged!

2008-11-11T16:41:00.002-07:00

I was tagged by my friend Cristina. Here goes:
EIGHT

8 TV shows I like to watch:
1- American Idol
2- Dancing with the Stars
3- ER
4- My Own Worst Enemy
5- Bachelor(don't judge me!!)
6- The Amazing Race
7- The Today Show
8- The View

8 Restaurants I like to eat at:
1-Cafe Rio
2-Olive Garden
3-Brick Oven
4-Spaghetti Factory
5-Chilis
6-Subway
7-Taco Amigo
8-Gandolfos

8 things that happened today:
1- Went wedding shopping with my sister
2- Met with caterer for my sisters wedding
3- Primary Presidency Meeting
4- Email, email, and some more email!
5- Did homework with the kids
6- Did NOT clean my house--it really needs it!!!
7- Fixed dinner
8- Enjoyed quiet time during naps and bedtime!

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1-Thanksgiving
2-Christmas
3-Seeing my mom
4-Being done with Christmas shopping
5-Spring-I am already sick of the cold!
6-My sister's wedding
7-Having all of us healthy again
8-Twins upcoming birthday

8 Things on my wish list:
1-Finishing our basement
2-Good health for me and my family
3-Having a maid to clean my house everyday!
4-To be a better mom and wife!
5-A tropical vacation
6-Shopping Spree
7-Family out of state could live closer
8-Kids would clean up after themselves!!!!

8 people I'm tagging:
1-Kim
2-Amy
3-Lisa
4-Heidi
5-Kylie
6-Sherylen
7-Shannon
8-Michelle

The Invisible Mother

2008-11-06T21:07:00.001-07:00

I just received an email from my mom with this great story. It really touched me as a mother, and also made me think of my own mom. My mom put up with ALOT from me--especially during my teenage years. She never gave up on me and now we have a great relationship. She is a great example to me as I am trying to find my way through this world of mothering. I just had to share this story with all of you and hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks for the inspiring story mom. We LOVE and MISS you!!

The Invisible Mother........

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England ... Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing pieces fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Engagement Excitement!!

2008-11-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

I got a call last night, one I have been expecting any day. My little sister Laura called to announce that she is ENGAGED!!! We knew this was coming, we just weren't sure when. We were so excited to hear the good news and wish the happy couple congratulations!! A date has not been set, but I think it will be early next year. The kids were so excited for Laura and even more excited to have a new uncle!! Since my mom is serving a mission she won't be able to do much with planning the wedding, so my poor sister is stuck with me. Congratulations Laura and Jon, we love you guys!!

Happy Halloween

2008-11-03T11:44:00.001-07:00

We had a great, but very busy week of Halloween activities! We kicked off our Halloween celebrations with the first annual Atwood Family Halloween Party. My MIL hosted the party and it was so much fun. She really went all out. The house was decked out in halloween decor, and all of the food had some sort of halloween theme to it, and there were tons of games and activities for everyone to participate in. And of course prizes for everyone(just what we needed was more candy!!)

All the grandkids dressed up in their cute costumes

Decorating halloween sugar cookies

Enjoying the finished product

Decorating pumpkins

Donut eating contest

We were kept busy at the school on halloween between the parade and helping with class parties. The boys were in the costume parade at school. The parade is only for K-3 so Cassidy wasn't able to participate this year.

My handsome Clone Tropper and Darth Vader

Halloween is also my MIL's birthday. She comes down every year to see the kids in their costumes and to take them trick-or-treating--as long as it isn't too cold!! We always celebrate her birthday too!! We always have pizza together for dinner and I make some of her favorite snacks and some type of birthday dessert for her. It has become a fun tradition to have her join us. My sister and her boyfriend Jon came over to surprise the kids on halloween too. They were dressed up as Cleopatra and King Tut. I thought they looked great!! The kids got a big kick out of their costumes as well.

We had a great halloween this year!

I'm the best mom ever!!!

2008-10-29T12:45:00.003-06:00

At least that's what Cassidy told me Friday night. My good friend Jenna and I decided it would be fun to surprise our kids and take them to see High School Musical 3 on opening night. We bought our tickets weeks in advance, they were starting to sell quickly. We surprised the kids and met at JCW's for dinner. While we were waiting to get our food Jenna handed each of the kids their ticket. As they looked at their movie ticket and read the words they got so excited. Cassidy immediately gave me a huge hug and told me that I am the best mom ever. Just wish that feeling would never go away!! So, after dinner we headed over to the theater. Thank goodness for reserved seating. The place was packed! When the movie started and Troy was on screen all the girls were screaming for him and yelling "I love you Troy", "Troy you're so cute", and other funny things! Jenna and I couldn't help but yell too. It was hilarious!! Fortunately my kids are still too young that they weren't embarassed by me! The boys weren't very into the movie, at least not as much as Cassidy. She is obsessed with HSM and LOVES Troy Bolton!!! We had a good time and it was so much fun spending time with great friends!

Ethan Misses Grandma!

2008-10-24T13:41:00.001-06:00

I've mentioned it before but Ethan really loves my mom. She was one of the few people he would go to over me! It was sad when she left because we knew that he probably wouldn't remember her when she gets home from her mission. Well, I was in charge of printing a picture of my mom, cutting it to the right size, and getting it to the person in her ward who does the missionary plaques. I printed a few extra pictures just in case I messed up. I gave Ethan one of the extra pictures in hopes that if he sees her everyday he won't forget her!! Well, he gets super excited whenever he sees her picture and even gives it/her hugs and kisses!! He is so sweet!! I guess the picture will have to do until he gets the real hugs and kisses from Grandma herself.

HUGS!! The picture is in his hand even though it is hard to see.

KISSES!!

Grandma even got to watch some TV with Ethan!!

Tagged!

2008-10-21T16:01:00.003-06:00

My SIL tagged me. . . .

Give one word answers with no explanation, then tag five bloggers with the "i love your blog award"...

1. Where is your cell phone... purse

2. Where is your significant other... work

3. Your hair color... brown

4. Your mother... spiritual

5. Your father... organized

6. Your favorite thing... quiet

7. Your dream last night... forgotten

8. Your dream goal... mom

9. Room you're in... loft

10. Your hobby... cleaning :)

11. Your fear... spiders

12. Where do you want to be in 6 years... here!!

13. Where were you last night... BFF

14. What you're not... thrifty

15. One of your wish-list items... patience

16. Where you grew up... everywhere

17. The last thing you ate... apple

18. What are you wearing... t-shirt

19. Your tv... off

20. Your pet... none

21. Your computer... lifesaver

22. Your mood... mellow

23. Missing someone... mom

24. Your car... guzzler

25. Something you're not wearing... jewelry

26. Favorite store... Costco

27. Your summer... busy

28. Love someone... family

29. Your favorite color... pink

30. Last time you laughed... friend

31. Last time you cried... personal

I am not going to tag anyone specific, just tagging anyone who feels like doing this! Have fun!

Fashion Week '08

2008-10-15T17:26:00.000-06:00

The other day I was going through some of the twins old clothes to see what I had that would work for Ethan this winter. I had a huge pile that was still in really good condition!! I brought up all the clothes and left them in Ethan's room with the intent to get them all washed and ready for when he needs them. The older kids saw the pile of clothes and had a better idea! Keep in mind that these are all 18-24month and 2T sized clothes. I can't believe they could even fit them over their heads. I was laughing so hard when they came out of the room and surprised me with their "fashion show"!

So much to do, so little time

2008-10-08T13:09:00.001-06:00

With the cold weather quickly approaching I have been trying to fit in a few outdoor activities before it is too cold. I have been meaning to take Ethan to the Thanksgiving Point animal farm and just hadn't got around to it. I also decided it would be fun to join a neighborhood playgroup since the older kids are in school all day. I thought it would be fun for Ethan to have other kids to play with. It worked out perfectly that our playgroup was already planning to go to the animal farm. Ethan is really obsessed with animals right now and he had a great time at the farm. When Ethan gets excited about something he screams--happy screams--but he is really LOUD! Let's just say he was really excited to see the animals!! He also got to have his first pony ride. He absolutely loved it! It was so fun to watch his face as he rode, he was all smiles! After the farm we went to the cafe and ate lunch. I have actually never eaten there and it was wonderful! It was so much fun to just hang out with the girls and have the kids be together! Here are some pictures from our fun outing.

Ethan on his pony ride

Ethan and Rowan watching the chickens

Ethan feeding the goats. All the kids loved this and were so brave to let them eat out of their hands!

Ethan and Isaac watching the goats

I have also been wanting to take the kids to a duck pond. When I heard that there was one down by BYU I was really excited. On the drive down I kept telling Ethan that we were going to go see the ducks and he quacked almost the whole way there!! We took all the kids and met my sister and her boyfriend down there. I have to say I loved this duck pond. It was in such a pretty setting and there were tons of ducks. My kids were in heaven. We brought a loaf of bread with us and they all had a blast feeding the ducks, although I think Ethan may have eaten more bread than he shared with the ducks! This will definitely be something we do together as a family more often!

My Little Helper

2008-09-24T13:28:00.000-06:00

Ethan is at such a fun age! He has gotten a lot more fun over the past few months because he understands so much more. It is so fun to be able to tell him what to do and to watch him follow your instructions. He has also developed quite the personality and loves to make us all laugh. He really keeps us entertained and is definitely the center of attention in our house. It is so fun to watch the older kids with him. They love telling him to do silly things and to try to get him to say new words. I was a little nervous about how he would do alone with me all day while the kids are in school, but it has been WONDERFUL! I definitely miss the older kids, but my house is so quiet and I really enjoy that. Ethan just follows me around each day as I do my stuff. He loves to help me. He is great at cleaning up toys and putting things in the kids bedrooms for me. When I am doing laundry he loves to hold all the hangers and hand them to me one at a time so I can hang all the clothes up. The other night Andy was getting ready to give Ethan a bath. After Andy undressed him he told Ethan to go put his clothes in his room. Ethan promptly picked up his clothes and carried them all the way to his room. It was great. Well, the next night things got even better. Andy had finished undressing him and before he could even tell him what to do, Ethan grabbed his clothes and took them to his room without even being asked. He not only carries his clothes to his room but he puts them in his laundry basket too!! He is definitely my child!!

I hate goodbyes

2008-09-14T21:24:00.001-06:00

Tonight we had to say goodbye to my mom since she leaves tomorrow morning for her mission in Philadelphia. We had her and Laura over for dinner and then Julie and the kids came over later to have dessert and say goodbye. I know it's only a year, but it was still really hard to say goodbye. I was doing pretty good until the kids said goodbye and started crying. We've been so lucky to have her so close and she's been there as they have grown up and they are very attached to her. I know that this will be a great experience for my mom and I am so proud of her for working so hard to reach this goal. She is a wonderful example to me. I love you mom!
My sister-in-law Julie and I thought it would be a good idea to have a blog for my mom while she is on her mission so that friends and family can keep up-to-date with her. When we receive photos and updates we will post them and we can all keep track of what is going on with her. The blog we have set up for her is sisterpat.blogspot.com. Watch for updates!

Seattle

2008-09-03T20:16:00.000-06:00

I just got back from a great trip to Seattle! My nephew was being baptized so I thought I would take the opportunity to go and have some time with my sister. I haven't been to Seattle for about a year and half and it was nice to go back. I used to fly up there every summer since I was 15 and would spend weeks with my sister. I have some great memories from those trips. Every time I would go up there we would find some new thing to do either in Seattle or the surrounding area. There is always something neat and exciting to see and do. I don't get up there as often as I would like now that I have kids and they are busy in school. This trip was especially nice because I had NO KIDS with me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids, but who doesn't need a break! I was gone for five days and missed the kids a ton, but it was a fun trip. My mom also flew up there with me so it was great to have time with her as well. We hung out, shopped, did stuff for the baptism, and talked, talked, talked!! I have to say a HUGE thank you to my wonderful husband who took GREAT care of the kiddos while I was gone. He is so great to encourage me to go and to deal with all the day to day stuff by himself.
It was a great baptism, and I am glad I was able to be there for it.

My cute nephew and I at the baptism

Mt. Ranier from the airplane window--so beautiful

What would I do without my sister?

2008-08-26T16:34:00.002-06:00

So those of you that know me really well, know that I often talk about my very crafty, talented, sister, Katie. She lives in Washington so we don't get to see each other very often, but when we do we have a blast together. Isn't it sad that her favorite summer vacation is to come to Utah! I personally am glad that she makes the long trek here every summer, not only because we get to hang out the whole time, but she is always willing to help me with my crafting dilemmas--I have a lot of them, she got all the talent in that department. I can't even begin to count how many wonderful things she has done for me, but the ones that stand out most in my mind are: she handmade Andy and I a queen-size comforter for our wedding(it took her six months), she sewed all the outfits for the nieces and nephews for my wedding, she has made me countless numbers of curtains for our house(not only this one, but everywhere else we have lived), she painted painted the boys room for me and not just a simple paint job, she spent a lot of time because we were doing multiple stripes and colors, she came for Christmas and spent a TON of time painting all my kitchen cabinets and antiquing them, but most recently--this past July--she came and made me new curtains for my kitchen. She made one for my back door, and my two kitchen windows. They are beautiful.

One of the great talents that my sister has is that she can just look at something and if she doesn't know how to do it, she can figure it out. That is how she did my curtains. I just took her to my friends house and told her to copy the same design--and she did--perfectly!
My sister has just started a new online business. It is iloveletterz.com. It is a vinyl business and she can cut and create anything you want in any color and size. Check it out! So, of course while she was here this summer we had to do some vinyl too. I had a hard time getting this picture because it is on my stairwell and my camera wouldn't zoom out enough to get a full shot. But take a look anyway at the great vinyl she designed and then from the top of my hallway looking down there is somewhat of a full shot. This is now my favorite wall in the house!

These pictures really don't do it justice, but it's the best I could do!
Katie, thanks for always being willing to help me out--I can't imagine what my house would look like without you!!

Lots of Firsts

2008-08-21T14:02:00.000-06:00

Kaden lost his FIRST tooth on the FIRST day of school in FIRST grade!

Back To School!

2008-08-18T11:59:00.002-06:00

It's here. . .the first day of school! My house is strangely quiet! It is going to take a couple days to get back into a routine. I haven't set my alarm clock for months and almost forgot last night. If Andy hadn't reminded me we would have slept through the first day of school! The kids were so excited to be back with their friends. I am one of those crazy moms who has to drive her kids to school the first day. I, of course, had to go in and walk the boys in to their classrooms(I know I have issues, but I am not the only mom who does it!!). I was fully prepared with my camera so I could pictures of them in their new classroom. You will notice that I do have some control, I didn't walk Cassidy to her classroom(didn't want to embarass her!) so I just got a picture of her and her friend Tatumn in the hall before she left. Here is what I am going to miss most about each of them:

I am going to miss Cassidy's help around the house. She is always so sweet to ask me what she can do to help me. She also loved playing with Ethan and would always help with him too. All summer long he would love going into her room with her and they would listen to music together and just have fun! He has already been in her room this morning looking for her!

I am going to miss Kaden's hugs and kisses. He is one who would always just come and give me a hug and kiss for no reason at all. He would also just come sit with me and talk. He is one who sometimes chooses to hang out with me rather than play with his friends. He always has tons of hugs and kisses for Ethan too!

I am going to miss Spencer's silly sense of humor. He is always doing some crazy thing that makes me laugh. My favorite is when he talks in his chimpmunk voice!! He is always good to do silly things that just make Ethan crack up!

Not Ready to Let Go

2008-08-14T17:01:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning with knots in my stomach. When I tell you why you are going to think I am crazy, but I am very serious. School starts in only four short days and I am nowhere near ready(emotionally) to let my kids go. I have to say that my kids have been great this summer. They have gotten along pretty well and we haven't had too many fights. We have had our moments, but they have been few and far between. I have adjusted to having Cassidy gone all day because we have been doing it for four years now, but this year I am being dealt a double whammy! This year I send my twins to school ALL DAY! Kindergarten was great last year. They were gone all morning, and I could run errands and do things around the house without having to bore them with all that stuff. Then I would eagerly look forward to them coming home in time to have lunch with me and they would be here with me all afternoon. It really was the ideal situation. Now, my days will be empty without them here. However, it is really ironic that I feel this way. When the boys were first born it was a really stressful time for me. I was really overwhelmed. I remember thinking I couldn't wait till they were older and easier and would be gone to school all day and then I could have some time to myself. Well that time has come a lot faster than I had hoped and I wish I could take back those words and even a few years.

Newport Beach

2008-08-09T22:55:00.001-06:00

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Newport Beach. We went with my in-laws and my brother-in-law, and it was really nice to spend a week with them. We had a great time. The resort we stayed at was amazing. It had so many different things to do: swimming, basketball, playing on the playground, golfing on the putting green, an activities center for kids, a koi pond, an arcade room, and beautiful views of the ocean! Here are some highlights from our trip:

*Going to a taping of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Bad seats, but worth it in my opinion. Although the parking ticket we got put a small damper on the day. Thanks to my in-laws for watching all the kids while we were gone.

*Riding the ferry over to Balboa. This was such a fun little island. We walked around and explored some shops and the kids got to ride on the ferris wheel and carousel.

*Eating lunch outside on the roof at Ruby's on Balboa Pier. We even saw some dolphins swimming while we ate. It doesn't get better than that.

*The kid saw a shovelhead shark that someone had caught off of Balboa Pier. That was "so cool"!!

*Spending the day at the beach. Although we didn't pick a great day for the beach and it was quite overcast, the kids still had a blast playing in the sand and waves.

*Just enjoying all the resort had to offer. We were always busy because there was always something to do. We even went to a magic show one afternoon and Cassidy was picked to help!!

*Taking the three older kids to Legoland for the day. We had a great time, the lines weren't very long and the kids got to go on a ton of rides. Andy kept saying that this was just the perfect day, and it was. Thanks again to my in-laws who kept Ethan ALL day so we could enjoy this day.

*The earthquake. The kids couldn't believe that we were in an earthquake. Luckily it was pretty minor and no one was injured.

*Good kids in the car. With all of our trips we drove almost 40 hours in 4 weeks, and the kids were great in the car!! I was nervous about how Ethan would do on a long road trip, but he was awesome.

What a great trip and a great ending to our summer!

Happy 11th Anniversary!

2008-08-08T08:39:00.001-06:00

I really can't believe it's already been 11 years! Time flies.
Andy and I met while working for the same company one summer. We quickly became friends and hung out together all the time. Eventually our relationship turned into more than just friendship. In February of 1997 Andy flew me to San Fransisco and as we walked along the pier out on the water he proposed! We were married on August 8, 1997 in the Bountiful LDS Temple! We have been through lots of things together these last 11 years, but the most important would be having our 4 children!! Andy really is the perfect husband. He would do anything for me and our kids. He helps me more than most husbands probably do. He works so hard for our family which allows me to be home raising our children. He doesn't stop working when he gets home in the evening. He immediately jumps right in to helping around the house and with the kids. I feel so lucky to have Andy in my life. I really couldn't imagine going through life without him. Thanks for 11 great years and many more to come! I love you!

Bear Lake

2008-07-23T18:16:00.001-06:00

We spent this past weekend in Bear Lake with Andy's family. We just love Bear Lake and always look forward to going. I just love the drive up there, it is so beautiful. My favorite part is as you come up out out of Logan Canyon and begin the descent into Garden City and you see the beautiful lake surrounded by the mountains. It is just amazing.
The kids had a blast this year. We basically spent the majority of our time just hanging out at the lake and playing in the water and sand. Here are some of the pictures from our trip:

FUN IN THE SUN!

Kaden and Cassidy loved being buried in the sand!

Grandma always comes prepared with activities. This year it was decorating T-shirts!

Fun with Grandma and Cousins!

Island Park

2008-07-18T10:51:00.011-06:00

We just got home a couple of days ago from a wonderful trip to Island Park, Idaho. If you have never been, I would highly recommend it. It is so beautiful there and so much to do. We had all of my immediate family there--12 adults and 18 grandchildren!! We rented this gorgeous cabin. It was huge and accommodated us all really well. I have to say a huge thank-you to my sister-in-law Andrea for telling me about this cabin.
We all arrived Thursday late afternoon. The kids were dying to get in the hot tub. Soon after they got in, Uncle Kevin joined them. He is a kid himself and this is why all the grandkids love him so much! Soon after Kevin got in, Aunt Laura did too, but not by choice!! She was a good sport and the kids had a blast with her too!!

We spent all of Friday at Yellowstone. I haven't been there in years, so it was nice to go back . The kids loved yellowstone and thought Old Faithful was especially "cool". We also hiked through the paint pots, and took a break for the kids to play in the water at firehole flats. Our only animal sightings were a bald eagle and buffalo(which were responsible for a 40 minute traffic jam).

Saturday was spent exploring Island Park. We went to Big Springs, equipped with a loaf of bread to feed all the trout--which were basically non-existent--but the seagulls sure enjoyed it! Then it was on to Henry's Lake for fishing. Thanks to Uncle Brian the kids were able to go out on the lake in his fishing boat. My kids weren't lucky enough to catch anything, but some of their cousins were and we enjoyed a delicious meal of trout that evening. We also went to Mack's Inn to do some canoeing, kayaking, and paddle boats.
We enjoyed hikes, sightseeing, playing games, watching movies, smores, and just being together. It was a blast!!

On our way home Sunday we stopped in Rexburg so I could visit my old stomping grounds. It was really neat to drive through the town and see what has changed and what hasn't. It was neat to be there, it brought back so many fun and wonderful memories.

My sister and I outside our old apartment in Rexburg.

The new Rexburg Temple--amazing!

Time to Catch Up!

2008-07-16T16:31:00.009-06:00

I have been such a slacker at my blogging lately. We have been so busy and had so much going on. I realized that since I am sooooooo behind I will never catch up, so I thought I would just mention some of the highlights of the things I have missed!

**Ethan began walking about 6 weeks ago!! I think this is one of my favorite milestones. I always look forward to it, it is so neat to see them learn and grow and discover what they can do on their own! I know so many who say they think it is harder when their kids start to walk because they can get into everything and it is more work for the parent, but I think I am just the opposite. Ethan was already into everything so it didn't change much!! Now he is onto climbing!!

Ethan with his vacuum in hand--definitely his mother's son!

**A very exciting, emotional moment for our family came a few weeks ago when my mom recieved her mission call! She was called to serve in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia mission, and she leaves September 8th. I am so excited for my mom. She is going to have an amazing experience and I know she will be blessed for her service. I can't tell you how hard it is going to be for me to not have her here for the next year. That may sound crazy to some because I know many of you don't have family nearby, but I have been lucky enough to have my mom close by, so it will be an adjustment for me and my family. My kids are very attached to my mom and it will be hard on them too. Ethan is especially attached to Grandma. She is the one person that he will choose to be with over me--and if you know what a momma's boy he is that is pretty big! After my mom opened her mission call we were all just sitting around talking about it and didn't realize that Cassidy had left the room. Awhile later we found her hiding behind a chair in the living room crying because she is going to miss Grandma so much. It broke my heart, but I know that the example my mom is setting for my kids is worth it! Congratulations Mom! We know you will do a wonderful job, we will miss you, but know you are doing the right thing! GOOD LUCK!!

**We have had a fun couple of weeks with family in town, a vacation to ID(post to come very soon!), and two more trips coming up! My brother David and his wife Carrie came to visit from AZ for a couple weeks before our big family reunion to ID. We always look forward to their visits. They have a daughter, Rachel, who is just five months younger than the boys and they play great together. They also have a 3 year old girl, Becca, although you would think she is much older, she just fits right in with the big kids. She is so smart and says some of the funniest things I have ever heard! We were extra excited this year to see them all because they now have a sweet baby boy, Nathan. We haven't seen Nathan since Christmas when he was just 6 weeks old. He has changed a ton and was so much fun. I was anxious to see how Ethan and Nathan(we constantly called them the wrong names) would react to each other. They did really well together. Ethan was always patting Nathan's head and rubbing his hair. Nathan didn't seem to mind except for the times when Ethan was a little too rough. It will be fun to see them be little buddies as they grow older, we only wish they lived closer!

Ethan giving Nathan a hug!

It was nice to have them here for the fourth of July holiday. We had a great family BBQ and went to fireworks together. It was so fun to watch Ethan enjoy the fireworks. Last year he slept right through them, but this year he absolutely loved them! He couldn't stop pointing at them.

We were also lucky to be able to spend some time with my Dad. He came up the day after the fourth. We ended up taking the kids to the AF pool to enjoy some time in the water and with Grandpa. We had a great time!

Ethan loved being able to stand in the water by himself. We had to watch him very carefully though because he loved to let go and go under the water. He is such a little fish!

Of course the waterslide is always a favorite!

We just love summer and all the fun times together!

It just isn't summer without. . . . .SWIM LESSONS

2008-07-01T13:54:00.000-06:00

The kids just finished up their swim lessons last week and I wanted to post some pictures we got of them. They did really well this year and are getting so good in the water. Cassidy loved doing all the different floats she has learned--especially the watermelon and jellyfish floats. In the boys class they learned to dive under the water and retrieve the diving stick. They just did awesome!!
I was afraid that Ethan might be hard to keep away from the water during lessons because he has this serious obsession with water and just can't get enough of it. Luckily he was just perfect and stayed with me the entire time.
Can't wait till next summer and more swim lessons!

The last day of lessons was the most fun for the kids because they got to go down the water slide!

Our Camping Weekend

2008-06-21T18:50:00.000-06:00

The kids have been wanting to go camping for a while, so last weekend we headed into the treacherous mountains of. . .Morgan, Utah. We found an ideal spot. It had a nice, level, no rock campsite. There was a fire pit, trampoline, swimming pool, indoor plumbing, and most importantly a nice king size bed for Linda. Now where was this great spot that we found?? This was in Andy's parents backyard!! We really had it rough! We actually headed up to Morgan to spend a night and celebrate Father's Day with Andy's dad. The kids have been wanting to camp forever so we figured that was as good a time as any. My mother-in-law even made tinfoil dinners so we felt a little more like real campers. We had a great time. The kids swam a ton and loved it. We had a campfire and roasted marshmallows and made smores. Then Andy and the three older kids headed off to the tent to sleep, while Ethan and I headed inside for a nice quiet night. We had a really good time and I prefer this kind of "camping"!

Just some fun pictures of the kids enjoying the pool!

The kids outside the tent!

My mother-in-law was prepared with a fun craft for the kids to do the next morning!

My Little Criminal

2008-06-11T14:47:00.002-06:00

A couple weeks ago we were out back doing some yard work after dinner. Andy and I were up on top of our rock wall pulling the weeds and the kids were down below on the grass just playing around. Ethan had been playing with his toys and just crawling around exploring. After a while, Ethan found our phone that I had set out on the steps. He LOVES the phone and began pushing all sorts of buttons. I let him go ahead and play, he does it all the time. While playing with the phone he happened to hit a button that transfers one phone to our other phone. It makes a beeping noise and won't stop until you either pick up the other phone or turn it off on the actual phone beeping. So I climbed down and turned it off. As soon as I did that the phone rang. It came up with some weird ID that I didn't recognize. I almost didn't answer, but decided to. Boy was I surprised when the lady identified herself as a dispatcher for 911 and said that a 911 call had been placed from our house and they were calling to see if everything was all right. I told her that my baby had been playing with the phone and he must have dialed it. I apologized and hung up. Neither Andy or I could believe that Ethan had done that. What are the chances that he would dial those exact numbers in that exact order. Crazy, but unfortunately not the end of the story. After I had hung up with the dispatcher Andy commented that it was a good thing that I had answered or else they would have sent an officer out to check on things. Well, to top things off a few minutes later there was a police officer in our backyard. He had come to make sure everything was okay. Luckily he was very understanding and even offered to help with the yard work! Let's just say that Ethan no longer plays with the phone!

Christmas in June

2008-06-04T13:39:00.000-06:00

For Christmas we got the kids an air hockey table. The idea was to put it in the basement, along with some other big toys that we keep down there for them to play with. Well, if you had seen my basement a few months ago you would understand why it has taken this long to make room for the air hockey table. We had so much stuff down there and it was taking up so much room. For the past couple months we have been working so hard in our basement going through each and every box. We organized everything that we are keeping and set aside everything we don't want for a garage sale that we are having at my mom's this weekend. Well, the good news is that we finished, the basement looks awesome, but best of all the air hockey table is FINALLY assembled!! The kids were so excited that they had half the neighborhood in the other day to play!

Bragging Rights

2008-05-30T23:07:00.002-06:00

We all have those moments when we really want to brag about our children, and as parents it is definitely our right to do so. So indulge me for just a minute while I take my turn. There is a test that is given to 3rd and 5th graders called the IOWA test. It is given nationwide and covers just about everything. Since Cassidy is in 3rd grade this year she was one of those who had to take this test. Cassidy's school had an awards assembly a couple days ago and she received an award for scoring in the top ten percent in the NATION on the IOWA test. When I saw the award I seriously started to cry (I seem to do that a lot ever since I had kids). I am so proud of her!! Way to go Cass!!
But I think the most important thing we learned from this is that she definitely gets her brains from her mom!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINDA!!!

2008-05-28T22:34:00.000-06:00

Please forgive me for hijacking Linda's blog, but I have to post to wish her a happy birthday! She made me promise I wouldn't do this, so hopefully I won't be in too much trouble.

In any case, HAPPY BIRTHDAY LINDA!! I hope you have a wonderful day. You deserve it. Thank you for all you do to take care of our family.

I LOVE YOU!

David Archuleta Wannabe

2008-05-19T21:38:00.001-06:00

About a week and a half ago Andy got tickets to the Jazz playoff game. This was the game where David Archuleta sang the National Anthem. He did awesome. Check out this video of him singing.

Now fast forward to tonight. The boys were watching the video of David singing the National Anthem. Kaden then went to get in the shower and this is what we heard.

He obviously still has some work to do on the lyrics!
Kaden really didn't want me to put this video on my blog, but I couldn't resist!

Happy Birthday Andy!!

2008-05-19T09:53:00.001-06:00

We just want to wish Andy a very happy birthday!! In honor of Andy on his 32nd birthday, here are 32 reasons why we love him. . .

Cassidy:
*He helps me with homework
*He cheers me up when I am sad
*He is very nice
*He is really funny
*He calls me Bug
*He plays with me

Kaden:
*He takes me to lots of Jazz games
*He makes good breakfast
*He plays catch with me
*He loves me
*He goes to work and makes money for us
*He bought us a house

Spencer:
*He builds legos with me
*Makes good pancakes
*He bought me a fish
*He built us a swing set
*He teases me
*He loves me

Ethan:
*Takes really good care of me
*Changes my diapers
*Gives me baths
*Plays with me
*Always smiles at me
*Makes me laugh alot

Linda:
*Very hard worker--not just at work, but at home too!
*Very handy around the house
*He is a great dad
*He is a great husband
*Very selfless
*Very helpful
*Provides for our family
*Would do ANYTHING for us

I've Been Tagged

2008-05-14T13:44:00.001-06:00

I have been tagged--again. I was actually tagged before, but I never did it--sorry Heidi. I figured this time I should actually do it!!

ABC's "getting to know you" TAG ABC's of you. Each player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then go to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: Andy
C-Cake or Pie: Cake
D-Day: Saturday
E- Essential Item: Tivo
F-Favorite Color: Pink
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: Neither
H-Home town: I have lived so many places and didn't stay in one place long enough to consider it a hometown. I was born in Concord, MA but I guess I would consider Cedar Hills my hometown since we love it so much here.
I- Indulgences: Cold Stone sweet cream ice cream with raspberries
J- January or July?: July
K-Kids: 4
L-Life is incomplete without: My family
M- Marriage Date: 8/8/97
N-Number of Siblings: 3 brothers and 2 sisters
O- Oranges or Apples: Both
P- Phobias or Fears: Spiders, Snakes, and FEET!!
Q- Quote: Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
R- Reason To Smile: When I see my kids doing nice things for each other
S- Season: Summer
T- Tag Three: Jenna, Trisha, Brooke, and Cassidy!!
U- Unknown fact about me: I LOVE shoes!! If the shoe fits buy one in every color!!
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: Oppressor of Animal. Steak anyone??
W- Worst Habit: I am very impatient
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds
Y-Your favorite food: anything my mom makes!
Z: Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T19:13:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to wish a Happy Mother's Day to the two wonderful mothers in my life.
First to my mother-in-law Pam: Thanks for being a great mother to Andy. You raised a great son and a wonderful husband for me. Thanks for being a great mother-in-law to me. You are also a wonderful grandma to my kids. They love you so much! You are so generous, sweet, caring, and loving. We appreciate you and are grateful to have you in our lives!

Next, to my mom: Thanks for being a wonderful mom! I am so glad to have you as my mom. You taught me so much and I am still learning from you. You have helped me through some tough times and are always there when I need to talk. I am so lucky to have you so close and don't know what I will do when you leave this fall!! You are a great grandma and the kids love you too!!

As I searched for pictures of our moms to use in this post I realized that I don't have a lot to choose from. Sorry for the outdated pictures. I have PLENTY of pictures of the kids, just need more with the grandmas in them!!

Finally, Happy Mother's Day to. . . ME!! I actually just want to say how happy I am to be a mom. Without these four beautiful kids I don't think my life would have much purpose. I love being a mom, even on those rough day. . .luckily the good days definitely outnumber the bad ones. My kids teach me something new everyday and are a great example to me. I love you guys a ton!!

Spring Break '08

2008-04-21T20:14:00.001-06:00

The kids had all of last week off of school due to spring break. We decided not to take a big vacation during the break this year because we have quite a few coming up this summer. One thing we love to do as a family is to stay in Park City for a few days and hang out. We went up last week from Wednesday to Saturday and had a blast together. We had originally booked a one bedroom condo to stay in. It's a really long story, but we had some troubles with the first place so they ended up moving us to a different condo that was brand new and had three bedrooms. It was really really nice. We had a really good time with the kids. It was so nice to just be able to relax and not have to worry about getting up and being ready for school, running the kids to all their various sports, piano, appointments, etc. We had movie night with the kids every night and just enjoyed a few stress free days. Here are some fun pictures I took from our little mini vacation!

The kids love to play on the playground while I get in a little shopping time!!

The condo they moved us to didn't have a pool open, so the kids had just as much fun in the hot tub!

Cassidy just HAD to call her friend while we were away because she hadn't talked to her in THREE WHOLE DAYS!! What will I do when she is actually a teenager??

I thought this one of all three boys looking out the window was really sweet.

Ethan loves his baths. We didn't have any bath toys for him so the kitchen utensils had to do!

Didn't realize he would use it as a cup too!

I guess he was really thirsty!! I though this picture was hilarious!

Little too much water!

Jazz Fever

2008-04-02T13:27:00.000-06:00

Kaden and Spencer turned 6 last November, and for part of their gifts we bought them tickets to a jazz game. They loved the jazz before that and loved watching the games on t.v., but ever since they went to the game they are even more obsessed than ever. They know each player and their number, and Kaden even remembers the scores to all the games he has attended. Luckily for them Andy has a friend who has season tickets and occasionally when he doesn't need them all he gives Andy the opportunity to buy the extras. Of course we can't resist buying them because they love going so much--even Cassidy is now hooked and chose a jazz game over a night of shopping with Mom!! This past Friday Andy's friend had just enough extra tickets for Andy and the kids. As always, they had a blast! As an added bonus, President Monson was at the same game. He had much better seats, row 3, but he definitely deserves it!

The kids at the game in their Jazz shirts. Definitely can't go to a game without your Jazz shirt on.

Not the greatest pictures since Andy was sitting much further away. President Monson is right in the middle of the picture sitting with his wife.

President Monson even stayed after the game to talk to people and take pictures with them.

Finally he gets to leave and go home. I am sure he can't wait to get out of that suit!!

Four Reasons Why My Easter Was Great!

2008-03-25T20:07:00.000-06:00

Ethan's First Birthday

2008-03-24T20:07:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday my baby turned 1. I almost can't believe that a year has gone by. It is very bittersweet for me. I love it because he is so much fun at this age, but sad that he is growing up so fast. Ethan was a really good baby, very mellow and easy to calm down when he was fussy. He has brought a lot of joy into our home. The older kids were thrilled when they found out we were having another baby, and even more excited once he was actually here. They are great with him and love him more than I ever expected.

Ethan was born on March 22, 2007 at 2:39 pm. He weighed 8lbs and was 19 1/2 inches long. And today he is breaking my back at a whopping 24lbs 5oz and is 31 inches long. We had his 1 year well check today and am happy to say he is healthy, happy, and into everything!

ETHAN'S FIRST YEAR

For Ethan's first birthday we had a small family party. It was really nice to have everyone come celebrate with us. I decided since his birthday was the day before Easter that I would attempt to make an Easter bunny cake. My friend Trisha lent me her cake pans. It was two separate pans, one the front of the bunny and one the back side. Once they are baked you are supposed to be able to frost them, stick them together, and they stand up. The finished product is really cute, if you can accomplish this simple task. I won't go into all the long boring details, but after baking the cake and having my house fill with smoke because the batter is pouring out into the 350degree oven and then not having the cakes come out of the pans in one piece, I gave up. I took the pans back to Trish and thanked her for letting me borrow them and went on to complain about how I couldn't even cook a cake right. Well a while later I got a phone call from my wonderful sweet friend saying she had made me a new cake and had it baking in the oven and would bring it by once it was cool. I know you are all thinking what a great friend--and you are right--but it doesn't stop there. Trish came back over that night and stayed till midnight helping me decorate it. THANK YOU TRISH!! Take a look at our finished product!

But. . .did he enjoy the cake?

Of course, as long as it doesn't require too much effort!

Happy 1st Birthday Ethan! We love you!

Ethan's First Haircut

2008-03-20T10:28:00.001-06:00

I took Ethan to get his first haircut a couple of days ago. I debated whether or not to cut his hair. He has a lot of hair in the back and it has some beautiful curls, but it gets crazy at times. I really wanted to keep the curls a while longer, since he still is a baby. I didn't want him to look to grown up to me, so I decided to just have him get his hair trimmed.
I wasn't sure how he would react to a haircut, but he did GREAT! He sat there the whole time and didn't cry once.
I just hope some of the curl will grow back and I can indulge in keeping him my baby for a few more months!

Feelin' The Love

2008-03-17T14:01:00.000-06:00

So it's been about two weeks since my last post, and now I do two in the same day. Go figure. I have been really busy this last week and just haven't had the time to blog.
I just wanted to send out a HUGE thank-you to everyone who has helped me this past week. Andy has been gone to Ireland for the last 9 days and finally gets home late tonight. I already had a really busy week ahead of me and of course a few unexpected things always have to happen, just not the best time for him to be gone. I should have known it was going to be a crazy week when I woke up sick the day Andy had to leave. I just have to say I have the best mom, sister, in-laws, and friends.
My cute little sister helped me out big time at church one of my two Sunday's alone. I got a new calling and my first Sunday doing it Andy was gone. It kept me really busy, running around everywhere. She kept Ethan for me the whole time so I didn't have to worry about him at all. I ended up having to stay after church for about an hour or so. Laura brought my kids home, changed them, fed them, and cleaned up too. For those of you who have kids, you know what a big job this is!!
My mom babysat for me numerous times this past week so I could go to my class and also so I could go visit my neighbor and her new adorable baby boy in the hospital. She also ran Cassidy back and forth to piano for me, and of course kept me company in the little free time we had.
My in-laws checked on me almost everyday and told me if I needed anything they would be down ASAP. I didn't think I would have to take them up on it, but I did. I woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible pain in one of my teeth. I tried to wait till Andy got home this week to deal with it, but it got way to painful to handle. I figured I'd better get to the dentist before I overdosed on ibuprofen. Until you have had this, you don't realize how bad it can be. My father-in-law came and stayed with my kids for over 2 hours. They had a blast--at least the kids did! My mother-in-law even offered to come watch the kids on Saturday for a couple hours so I could get out. I will definitely take you up on that next time Pam!
As for all my friends/neighbors. I am so lucky to live in this neighborhood. We have the greatest friends ever! I can't even tell you how many people called and checked on me and offered to help in any way. I had one friend say to me that you know I would do anything to help you. And it's true, they all would.
This may be such a cheesy post and it may not seem like my week was that crazy(compared to most it wasn't) but this week just made me realize how blessed I am to have all these wonderful people in my life! THANKS!!

Going Green

2008-03-17T09:57:00.002-06:00

Every St. Patrick's Day for the last couple years, a leprechaun comes to our house and leaves the kids a surprise "green" breakfast. The kids had been talking all week whether he would show this year or not. This leprechaun did not disappoint the kids this year. When they went down to breakfast this morning they had green scrambled eggs, toast with green butter, green yogurt, and a new four leaf clover cup with green milk and a green straw. He even thought to serve the food on green plates!! Too bad he didn't stay long enough to do the dishes!!

It tastes better than it looks, but what do you expect with green food!

Despite the color they ate it all!

Cassidy's Birthday Weekend

2008-03-04T09:41:00.000-07:00

We had a really busy, but fun weekend celebrating Cassidy's birthday. We started it off on Saturday morning with a visit from Andy's parents and also Andy's Aunt Connie and Cousin Donna who were here visiting from North Carolina. Connie and Donna have only met Cassidy once when she was about 7 months old. It was nice for them to be able to meet the rest of the kids. We had a good time visiting with each other and it was so nice to see them.
I decided to simplify things so I only throw a big birthday party with friends every other year. This year was the off year so Cassidy got to choose an activity and a restaurant for our family to do together. She decided on bowling. We had a really good time. The kids actually did better than I thought. After bowling we headed to pizza factory for dinner. It was a fun night together.

Even Ethan wanted in on the bowling action!

This is what Cassidy's pins looked like after one of her turns. We thought that was so wierd the way they ended up. Never seen that before!

On Sunday, her actual birthday, we had just invited her grandparents over for cake and ice cream and to watch her open her gifts. I decided to surprise Cassidy and had the house decorated in High School Musical theme when she woke up Sunday morning. I even made her a High School Musical cake. I had a good time doing it and she was really surprised when she woke up and saw it all.

Happy 9th Birthday Cassidy!

Why I Love Cass. . .

2008-03-03T19:23:00.001-07:00

I can't believe my Cass is 9! I have started to dread her birthday each year because that means that she is another year older, which means she is another year further away from being my baby. Cassidy was such a good baby and a perfect toddler. She was always so obedient. If she ever got into something I didn't want her to or did something she shouldn't, all I had to do was say no and she wouldn't do it again. Cassidy was just barely two years old when I was pregnant with my twins. I was really sick for the first 16 weeks and spent a lot of time in bed. I was not sure how I was going to take care of Cassidy every day. We decided to move a lot of her toys into our bedroom so I could keep an eye on her. She was so good, she would just entertain herself all day and never did anything she shouldn't. Cassidy was really smart as a little girl and still is. Cassidy learned to read fairly early. Once she learned she never wanted to stop reading. When she graduated from preschool her teacher gave each student an award. Cassidy received the award for the best reader. Her teacher said she was reading on a 4th grade level--at least. I am so glad her love for reading has continued to this day. She does really well in school. She is also a little social butterfly. She loves her friends and they love her. I have gone to eat lunch with her a few times at school and every time I do all her friends want to sit by her and play with her at recess. Probably my favorite thing about Cassidy is that she is so loving, forgiving, and genuinely cares about people and their feelings. She brings so many wonderful attributes into our family and we are definitely blessed to have her in our lives. We love you Cass!

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures of Cassidy. Enjoy!

Spelling Bee

2008-02-29T13:15:00.005-07:00

Cassidy was in the spelling bee at school this past Monday. There were 32 kids participating in grades 3-6. She was really excited, yet nervous, but did great. She tied for 4th place with two other kids. She was the last third grader to be left in the competition!! We were so proud of her for doing her best! My camera was being wierd so I missed out on some great pictures, but here are a couple that I got!

Here she is spelling away. Cassidy was also in the spelling bee with her cute friend Tatumn (behind her). Tatumn did awesome too!

Here is a group shot of those that participated. Although a lot of them left before it was over so it isn't everybody.

Here is Cassidy getting her award and ribbon. Way to go Cass!!

I'm a Blogaholic!!

2008-02-27T19:53:00.004-07:00

I admit it--I am definately a blogaholic. I really love to read other people's blogs. My list of blogs seems to grow every day. Ever since my sister-in-law started her blog last year, I have been hooked. I even thought about starting one of my own, but figured I didn't have much to blog about and that it probably wouldn't be interesting to a lot of people. My sister-in-law convinced me that when you start a blog you start seeing all the things during the day that you could use as a post. Over the past few months I have seen what seems to be everyone I know start their own blog. I kept telling myself I would start one, but as you can see it took awhile. I am actually really excited to do this and have two reasons for starting my blog:
1. I thought this would be a great way to keep in touch with friends and family--especially those out of state. It's really hard to find the time to keep caught up with all our friends and family, near and far. This way they can see what we are up to!
2. This is my most important reason for blogging. I am horrible at keeping a journal, I DO NOT scrapbook, and I never write important or funny things down. My kids are growing up way to fast and I feel as though I have forgotten alot of important things that happened.
So in my pursuit of documenting my family, I hope you don't get sick of hearing about all the crazy, obnoxious, annoying, funny, sweet, and spiritual things going on in our house. That's life!!

By the way, if you can't hear the music playing just look at the bar above my blog and click to install the player. Nothin' better than a little Josh Groban to start off my day! I'll actually try to change the music around so you don't get sick of the same song over and over again!