April Conference Weekend 2014

We had one of the funnest conference weekend last weekend.  It started Friday evening with a yummy pizza party with my mom, dad, sister and her kids to celebrate my mom's birthday.  I LOVE pizza hut pizza....so good!!  We had brownies and ice cream and strawberry shortcake for dessert.  We played games before having the kids have a slumber party in the downstairs family room.  I had a good visit with my sister and went to bed past my bedtime! 

 Saturday was a fun day filled with conference, conference cakes, cousins, singing, crafts, taco salads, and lots of fun! After Gma got done singing in the morning session and after lunch, Gma and Marisa took the kids swimming at the hotel pool my mom was staying at that night.  I stayed home with Preston and the men went to the priesthood session.  The kids had a blast!  After we got the kids to bed that night, Marisa and I finished the "Family" craft we had worked on that day.  They turned out super cute.

 Sunday was another fun day spending time with my family.  Braydon, Gpa, Chris and Chris's friend from his mission in Brazil, Michel, went to the Sunday Morning session.  Then they came back to my house for the afternoon session and enjoy a second round of conference cakes.  Yes, we made a batch each day!  No one seemed to mind!

It was so fun for my kids to get to play with their cousins.  Since they live in Idaho we don't get to seem them as often as I would like!  But we love it when we do get the chance to see them!  Kaylee and Mayci were so cute together and put on many "Frozen" singing shows.  Braydon was so great with Preston and he just adored Braydon!  I can't say it enough, it was just a super fun weekend!!!

Spring Break in Holden!

Nick and the kids headed down to Holden Sunday morning.  They were all very excited to spend the next few days there playing for spring break.  I stayed home and just rested and recovered from my nose surgery.  It was very nice having a quiet home and just being able to sleep and not worry about anyone.  I had great friends who checked on me and brought me dinner so I was still well taken care of.  I was sad that I wasn't with the kids and was able to watch them have so much fun, so I told Nick to make sure and take pictures so I could see what they got to do.  I wish the weather would have been warmer, but that didn't stop them from having some fun with their cousins.  Here are some pictures that he took.  They spent a lot of time cleaning up the yard, had a bonfire to burn a lot of weeds and garbage, and even spent some time at the cabin.  It was fun hearing Kaylee and Carson tell me all of the things they did.  

I love the pictures of the kids that they took in the truck.  The selfies are the best!!  There were a ton on the camera, and it was funny to see all the angles and views they took pictures from.  I think they were at the cabin and it was really cold so the kids all stayed in the truck to keep warm and used the camera to keep themselves entertained.  Carson was so sad on Wednesday morning while he was getting ready for school.  He kept telling me how much he wanted to still be in Holden and he wanted it to still be spring break.  He had a really hard time getting back to the normal routine of life.  Poor kid.  Next year should be better since we will have a whole week of spring break and not just two days.  Not sure what the plan is for next year's spring break, but if the kids get a vote, it will probably be in Holden again!  I am thinking Disneyland would be pretty fun too....I guess we will see!

Preston is 18 Months!

Preston turned 18 months old yesterday, the 28th.  (And on a side note, it was 14 years ago yesterday that Nick and I met).  I took these pictures a few weeks ago when I did Livy's three year old pictures.  They both were happy that day and I was pleased with what I was able to get out of them.  Preston sure does keep us busy and has quite a bit of spunk!  He is his own person and is very stubborn and vocal about what he wants.  He has his moments of cuteness and can be a lot of fun, but to be honest he is just a lot of work!  He isn't a fan of holding still for sacrament meeting or even in a stroller at the zoo.  He is always on the go and loves to be outside.  He wants to be doing everything that his older siblings are doing.  He is no longer in a high chair at dinner.  He loves to sit on a bar stool at the counter with everyone else.  He also loves to eat with a fork and not his hands.  Which I can't always say my other kids even do!  He still likes his binky, and mostly only has it at bedtime, unless he finds one and then it is a battle to take it away from him.  It drives me crazy!  He is starting to say words and will say "Hi Dad" or "Hi Mom".  I can ask him who is Kaylee, Carson and Livy and he will point to them.  He can say cookie, cheese stick, hot dog, eggs, and most anything else that I tell him to repeat.  He also loves to laugh and gets really silly when he gets tired.  If he hears a song or any type of music he will stop and dance.  It is so cute!  He loves to bob his head to the beat if he is in the car and loves to wiggle to songs.  Even though he can be a bit exhausting, he is such a sweetheart too.  In the past few weeks he loves folding his arms in his crib before going to bed and having us say prayers with him.  He also loves to fold his arms any time we pray.  He loves to give kisses and hugs and he is such a daddy's boy.  He gets so excited every day when dad gets home.  He will run out and greet him with the biggest smile and excited scream.  We sure love this little dude and can't wait to see him continue to grow and learn!

A beautiful sunny zoo day!

We knew Tuesday was going to be a beautiful day so I made plans to go to Hogle Zoo with my friend Erin and her younger kids (and cute niece).  It was pretty busy there but we lucked out and got a super close parking space because someone was leaving.  We enjoyed the zoo for a few hours before heading back to get home before the older kids got home from school.  It was really warm and was great exercise pushing around a full stroller.  We can't wait to go back! 

On Wednesday, I watched Erin's youngest while she went on a field trip with Ashlyn's class and then I met up with Nick in Layton after lunch to go to a pre-op appoinment for my nose surgery I was having Thursday.  I got home and I taught 4 piano lessons, Nick headed to the church at 6 for Carson's pack meeting with all the kids, then I met them later after I had a quick bite to eat.  Nick had picked up pan pizzas from papa murphy's, they were yummy.  After Pack Meeting, I met with one of my primary pianists, Kaylene, to go over singing time for this Sunday since she will be filling in for me.  I am so grateful she is so willing and happy to help!  It was a busy week with everything going on, and now looking back, I am glad we all survived it!  

Kaylee lost her first tooth!

We survived the craziness of last week!  Thursday, we finished up the book fair and did just under what we did for the Fall Book Fair, which was great considering we didn't have it with SEP's this time, so the PTA was pleased.  I also had an ear appointment Thursday, and my ear infection I have been trying to get rid of is finally looking better.  Nick worked Saturday, but we were able to enjoy a date night that evening.  We had dinner at Smokin' Bones (it was sooooo good) and then went downtown SLC to watch a show at the Off Broadway Theatre.  We saw "The Wicked Wizard of Ahhs", it was so funny!  Sunday, the ward choir sang in Sacrament meeting and some of the Stake Primary Presidency came and visited me during sharing time of primary, since we couldn't find another time to meet.  It was good to get to know them better and let them get to know me better too.  We played a fun game of "Are you smarter than the Bishopric".  After church, our home teachers stopped by and then we had spaghetti for dinner.  Afterwards, we enjoyed the sun and enjoyed a bit of time outside.  The kids had fun playing with the bike trailer.  When I went outside I found them all with smiles on their faces.  It made me happy to see them so happy.  This past few weeks have been pretty stressful with a lot of crying and whining from all of them.  Alivia still is struggling with having potty accidents, dinnertime is always full of tears and refusing to eat, I sometimes feel like the kids completely ignore me when I ask them to help.  It is just so hard to be a parent and sometimes I feel like my effort is not even worth it and I feel like I am failing as a parent when my kids can be so hard.  But then little things happen, like when they are so sweet with each other, or tell me I am pretty, or when they have to give me a bunch of hugs first thing in the morning and when they go to bed at night.  I know they love Nick and me.  I know that right now we are their world, so I need to remind myself that often because I am to quick to wish away this moment for when they will be older and easier, but I need to try and enjoy them now.  Their love is so pure and unconditional.  They love me when I first wake up in the morning looking less than ideal, they love me no matter how clean or dirty the house is, and they love me no matter what I make for dinner.  They love me no matter what size I am or what clothes I wear.  They love me because I am their mom and they know I love them.  Or at least I hope they do!  Anyway, back to our weekend.  It was great.  Today was a busy Monday with school and work.  I took the younger kids to get some groceries at costco and smiths.  After school I taught piano while the kids enjoyed the warmer day.  Preston LOVES to be outside and always has a hard time being told to come inside.  We had shepherds pie for dinner (Kaylee's request).  After dinner, Carson and I headed to a dentist appointment at 7, where he got sealants and I had a cavity filled.  We just had to change dentists and one perk was they offer late appointments on certain days during the month, so it worked well.  When we got home Kaylee showed me how loose her tooth was getting and within 30 minutes she pulled it out.  It landed with a clink on the floor and we all just laughed!  She was so excited!!!!  It was cute to see her reaction and to see her so thrilled about losing her first tooth.  We had to call both grandmas and text them a picture.  I hope the tooth fairy visits her tonight, since she is looking forward to that quite a bit!

Alivia's Birthday!

We had such a great time celebrating Livy's Birthday yesterday.  She woke up to streamers on her door and the kids singing her happy birthday.  Our friend Erin and her kids brought Alivia her own little cupcake, it was so sweet.  She helped me make a cake and we got ready and after lunch went to Arctic Circle for some ice cream and play time with Erin and her kids.  We stopped at Walmart on the way home and picked up the DVD "Frozen" since it came out yesterday.  I had to teach a couple piano lessons and then help with the 2nd and final night of the grand event.  Kaylee was also busy after school since she went to a birthday party for a friend from school to Chuck E. Cheese's.  Nick took the three kids to McDonald's for dinner and they had a blast.  I guess it was pretty empty so they had the place to themselves.  After dinner, they stopped by the school to say hi and Kaylee also was dropped off the same time so we all enjoyed the end of the fiesta before heading home and having some of Alivia's Birthday cake.  I think she enjoyed the day.  She pretty much got whatever she wanted, including another book at the book fair since she was so sad that I had originally told her to put it back, but I couldn't see her be sad on her birthday over an inexpensive barbie book.  So she got it and was all smiles after that!  She really is such a sweet little girl and I am so grateful to be her mom.  We love having her as part of our family and we were glad we could celebrate her turning three!