The Dahl Family

Christmas through Mason’s eyes

2012-02-17T11:02:00.001-07:00

My parents gave the kids camera’s for Christmas and as I was loading Mason’s pictures, I thought it would be fun to show Christmas through a seven year olds eyes.

Didn’t he get some great shots? He has been loving having his own camera. I love that he got a shot of pretty much everyone, including Grandma Jackie.

A little LOVE

2012-02-14T09:54:00.001-07:00

Thanks to the lovely Pinterest I came up with some adorable valentines for the kids this year. They thought it was so cool to have a home made valentine, which of coarse makes me very happy!

The finished product was adorable. Complete with a sucker stuck through their hands!

I think we will try to do something like this every year … or as long as they still love it.

And even though Dax and Navi aren’t in school, I couldn’t resist something for them as well – they are just way to cute!

Also, I wanted to let you all know that I am in the process of starting a new blog! I am so excited about it and have been working really hard on getting it ready. It will be focused more on things like decorating, DIY projects, furniture refinishing, parties, and whatever else I feel like. I will still continue this blog as my family blog but will be putting most of my effort into the new blog.

I will give you more details as I get closer to starting it … hopefully soon!

Christmas {morning?!?}

2012-02-08T21:53:00.001-07:00

This year Christmas morning came EARLY. So Early that I wasn’t even sure it was actually morning. You see, Navi woke up crying around 2 am. I went in, calmed her down and put her back to bed. Then 2:30 rolled around and she was back up, then again at 3. Finally, I decided that bringing her in our room would be the best thing to do in order not to wake everyone else up. Just as I had fallen back asleep around 3:30, Mason came in to see if it was time to see if Santa had come. Are you kidding me? Um … no. So I told him to go back to bed.

Not long after that, we could hear three little boys bouncing off the walls with excitement downstairs. Hmm … I wonder how that happened!? Needless to say, we were all up and I didn’t see any hope of getting everyone back to sleep, so we (including Grandma and Grandpa) decided just to roll with it. It was fun, and exhausting, and Navi was down for a nap by 8 am and didn’t wake up until a couple hours after lunch. Ha. I have big plans of next year being very different!

Griff’s Star Wars helmet was a perfect fit for Grandpa Norm!

Here’s how I found my dad a few hours after the madness. I was wishing that was me!

So although we made it through our first Christmas without Jackie, we still missed her terribly. Here is a sweet poem that Kasey’s aunt gave us about Jackie’s first Christmas in heaven.

Christmas Eve

2012-02-07T21:22:00.001-07:00

This year Christmas was much different than years past. We had Christmas Eve at our house. Krista, Bobby, Kent, and my parents all came over. We had a low key evening with tons of food, visiting, a little just dance on the Wii, and of coarse the traditional Christmas Eve jammies and ornaments.

Navi opening her new shades from Aunt Krista and Uncle Bobby.

Christmas Eve Jammies

Grandpa Norm and Griff watching out the window for Santa

All in all it was a good, but hard night. We missed Jackie. It just wasn’t the same as our usual Christmas Eve of Chinese food and good times at her house. On the bright side we enjoyed our first Christmas Eve/morning with my parents.

Like I said … a new normal.

December Catch Up!

2012-02-03T15:36:00.001-07:00

December (and January for that matter) have flown by in a fog. We tried to keep everything as normal as we could for the kids while still dealing with our grief and emotions.

The boys had been asking for capes for quite awhile. They have figured out by now that if they want something made … to ask Grandma Cheryl. They did, and she did not disappoint. She even made one for the little miss.

……………………………………………………………………………….

Griffin had his school Christmas program. They work really hard for the month before Christmas learning new songs and memorizing their parts. Then they put on an adorable program for the residents at the local nursing home. I was so proud of Griff this year. He memorized his part all on his own and made sure to speak loudly, slowly and clearly so everyone could hear. He is getting to be such a big, handsome guy!

…………………………………………………………………………………

The kids kept themselves entertained on the cold yucky days playing together inside and being silly.

And helping Mom make cupcakes.

This is how I found Dax many days during the holidays. All curled up, blankie in mouth, watching a movie. (We are now limiting movies with much resistance!) He out of all the kids seems to be the most vocal about missing Grandma. I wish I could make it better for my little guy.

How do I begin?

2012-02-01T16:29:00.001-07:00

I have put off and put off and put off writing this post for almost two months now. I just haven’t been ready. And when I start to feel ready something else happens. It has been a vicious cycle. Everyone keeps telling me that trials are experienced in threes. We just attended our third funeral in six weeks, so you all better be right.

On Dec 4, my mother in law (who I really considered a second mom) passed away.

Jackie was diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer during the summer of 2009. I remember finding out that I was pregnant with Navi and being in shock, and honestly not too happy. (We had planned on two, then had Dax as a surprise so decided to get an IUD. You can imagine my SHOCK when finding out I was once again pregnant!)

I knew I had to tell Jackie about the pregnancy, but was a little nervous. Since we lived two doors down from each other, we spent many summer days together and on this particular day I just felt I needed to tell her. I sat down in her family room and told her that I had something to tell her and that she may want to sit down. (I know, dramatic right?!) I proceeded very unenthusiastically and with tears in my eyes to tell her that we were having another baby. I remember her response like it was yesterday. She just smiled at me, told me it was going to be a girl, and that there were a lot worse things in life. At this time she knew about the cancer, but hadn’t told us yet.

As we have been on this journey with Jackie for the last couple years I have wished that I could go back in time and have a totally different attitude about my pregnancy. I have realized that in the big picture, how silly that was. And YES, things could have been worse, and they were.

From the very beginning she was tough. She never let us know the full extent of her illness, always trying to protect us. She went through surgeries, collapsed lungs, stays in the ICU, numerous different chemo treatments, ER visits, hundreds of doctor appointments, radiation, drainage tubes, oxygen, shots, blood transfusions, medications and so much more. She fought the fight like have never seen before. All with a positive attitude and smile on her face. Rarely if ever would you hear Jackie complain. I love her for this. I love that she fought and kept fighting even with a very grey outlook ahead. She died knowing that she did everything that she could.

A few months ago Jackie knew that her time was running out, and wanted to have a family picture done. Aren’t we glad we did? She looks beautiful in these pictures. You would never know how sick she really was. That was just Jackie. She could get all dolled up and put on a smile and fool just about anyone, even if it was only for a short time before she had to put her oxygen back on or go lay down.

I remember when we got the pictures back. We were looking through them and got to the singles of her. She leaned over to me and in a joking way (even though she was serious) said, “these are for my obits.” She was always planning, trying to make things easier on everyone else. She even wrote a large portion of her obituary, only leaving a few spots for us to fill in. Jackie was selfless. I hope I can be like her when I grow up.

The night Jackie passed was the hardest night of my life to date. I can’t imagine what she was thinking or feeling. I remember getting a phone call from Krista (Kasey’s sister) in the afternoon of the 3rd. She just said that mom wasn’t doing good and she was on her way over to see what was going on. At the time, Krista didn’t know how bad it was and said she would call me when she knew more, but I knew. I just had a pit in my stomach and I knew. I hysterically called my little sister. I don’t even know if I was making sense or not but she just said, “don’t worry, we are on our way.” Thank God for sisters. That was just enough to calm me down so that I was able to call Kasey and get him on his way home.

By the time I got there around 5 pm the whole family was there along with Jackie’s hospice nurse. We spent the night rallied together spending our last hours with Jackie. Saying it was hard is an understatement. There is no way of describing the pain until you have gone through it yourself. Jackie fought and fought all night until she finally let go early Sunday morning. We all agreed that she seemed so peaceful and were glad that she was finally free of pain and suffering, but that doesn’t make it any easier.

We cried more tears than I knew possible. My heart ached for Kent. They were such a perfect match and in his own words, he had been robbed. My heart ached for Krista. She now has the rest of her life without her mom. They were best friends. They did everything together and had such an amazing relationship. My heart ached for Kasey. Of coarse because he is my husband but also because I felt like he just wasn’t prepared. He was hoping she would pull out of it, and that wasn’t happening. He was a mamma’s boy now without a mamma. My heart ached for Jackie’s parents, Cheryl and Bob. She was their only daughter, and it’s just not supposed to happen that way. But most of all, I guess because I am a mom, my heart ached for my kids. Jackie was more than a Grandma to them, she was a second mom. She came to our house every single morning for over a year and sat with the little kids while I brought Mason to school. The kids would beg to walk over and see Grandma. She would take them for Ice cream and McDonalds and to see Christmas lights and to feed cows. We spent most of the summer in the kiddie pools in her backyard, eating pizza and popsicles and fresh peas from her garden and pouring buckets of water down grandma’s legs to cool her down. They loved spending time with Grandma. Even while she was sick they loved to go over and sit with her, color, or watch a movie. How was I supposed to tell my dear, precious little kids that Grandma had died? It was almost to much to think about.

The next week was a whirlwind that I don’t remember a lot of. We were busy getting everything ready for her services. And I couldn’t have done it without the help of my sisters and Mom. Everything pretty much went as planned and we got through it.

We are continuing to take things day by day. Trying to get back to normal. It is a new and evolving normal. We are bound and determined to lean on each other and make the best out of life. There are good and bad days, but I know Jackie is rooting for us and only wanting us to be happy. As hard as it is, life must go on.

I love you Jackie and am so proud to be your daughter in law. Til’ we meet again.

Thanksgiving

2012-01-10T10:44:00.001-07:00

As I sit and try to write this … I have little words. Thanksgiving for us this year was not your normal Thanksgiving. Yes it was spent with family, yes we had the traditional turkey dinner, yes I tried keeping things normal for the kids and doing a craft or two with them, but as my mother in law Jackie grew sicker and more frail, we all truly counted our blessings (and even questioned them) as we spent our last days with her.

We spent the day over at Kent and Jackie’s along with Krista and Bobby (Kasey’s sis and her husband), Jackie’s parents Cheryl and Bob, and her brother Randy. We all pitched in and brought dinner. It was simple and delicious.

The kids made little egg carton turkeys for everyone a few days before and loved showing them off!

Every year Jackie makes the kids something to give them on Thanksgiving along with a new movie. This year she had Aunt Carla make them their own little sleeping bags. The kids LOVED them! They immediately unrolled them and set up camp. The sleeping bags had a little tag sewn onto each one that said “grandma loves me”. She never wanted them to forget.

All in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. I am so grateful to have spent it with people I love and to have created lasting memories.

Here is my attempt to get a good picture of Kasey and I . He was determined to not let that happen! This is why I love him … he keeps me smiling even during the toughest of times.

100 Things About Me!

2011-12-01T17:59:00.001-07:00

I have been working on this post for quite some time (we are talking in years here) and thought why not finish it up and post it today ... the day after my 29th birthday! I saw this on a friends blog and thought it was such a cute idea! So here we go ... 100 things about me!!

1. I love to blog.

2. I love my quite time . . . ya know when all ~~three boys~~ four kids are asleep!
3. I love a good book, just wish there was more time to read.

4. My family is the most important thing in my world.

5. I like to be stylish, although many days I don't make it out of jammies :)
6. I love to get my hair done, especially the shampoo. That is the best!
7. I don't miss doing hair!
8. I love the baby stage at about 2-9 months (when they can smile and interact, but before the attitude comes)
9. I hate bananas. That texture . . . yuck!
10. I love to cook. And would love to take a cooking class one day.
11. My passion is decorating. Too bad it costs so much!
12. I dream about having a yard! OK not really but I will be one happy girl when we get it done! How funny that when I started writing this we didn't have a yard and now we do! It is a work in progress but I do love it!!

13. I love the funny thing that my kids say out of the blue! They keep me smiling.
14. I hate to clean (I should be doing this right now, but chose to blog instead)!
15. I love when my boys just get out of the bath, yak know that clean little boy smell!
16. I am a procrastinator.
17. I love living close to family, just wish I lived as close to my parents too! I guess you can't always have the best of both worlds!
18. I enjoy scrapbooking - but have fallen WAY behind :(
19. I'm not the best communicator, but am trying to do better.
20. I HAVE to have my kids on a schedule. When the schedule gets off, I get a ~~little~~ lot frazzled!
21. I would pick sweet over salty any day.
22. I love a good chick flick.
23. I enjoy working in the garden! It's so peaceful and a good time to get a tan!
24. I love spending time in Maui. Hopefully we'll get to go again soon!
25. I love going on vacation but hate getting ready to go!
26. I faithfully record and watch my favorite TV shows weekly! (Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Dancing with the Stars, & of course The Bachelor/Bachelorette ) I know I'm a dork!
27. I'm pretty computer illiterate, although I am working on it and trying to teach myself new things.
28. I hate my feet.
29. I love to find new recipes but always feel like I make the same thing over and over! I guess you have to with little kids!
30. I'm so thankful to have a family who accepts me for me!
31. I'm a sucker for Ice cream. Especially Cold Stone or peanut butter and chocolate from Baskin Robins!
32. I love love love the smell of coffee!
33. I'm ~~excited to be~~ am the "soccer mom" and go to all of my boys games and events and love it!
34. I'm definitely not a morning person, but I also have a hard time staying up late! I just need my sleep!
35. I have terrible vision . . . hopefully Lasik is in my future!
36. I am so thankful to have 3 . . . well 4 including my hubby, beautiful, healthy, and happy boys and my little miss!
37. I do the bills, and like being responsible for them.
38. I can not stand acrylic nails. How do people wear them?
39. I could eat Costa Vida every night for a month and not get sick of it! In fact Kasey just knows that this is the first meal I am going to want after giving birth ... and he of coarse gets it for me!
40. I love to see the finished product after working on a project.
41. I'm not big on spicy foods . . . I'm more of a "mild" kind of girl.
42. I love a night out with the girls, seeing how I'm surrounded by boys the most of the time!
43. I'm not a big talk on the phone person.
44. I hate leaving messages.
45. I have recently started wearing hats and liking them.
46. I change roughly 8 diapers a day (I know you're jealous) ... a year later it's more like 4. Yea!
47. I like my kids to look cute with their hair done when we go out. Does this always happen??? NO!
48. I am definitely NOT comfortable speaking in public.
49. I was born in San Jose, CA and lived there until about age 10.
50. I love the ocean.
51. I dated my husband for 3 years before we got married.
52. I have been happily married to the best guy ever for 8 years (9 in December).
53. My full name is Kristin Lisa Doyle Dahl. I like how my last name didn't change drastically. It was pretty easy to get used to.
54. I try my best to be organized, but don't always succeed.
55. I love my brother and sisters. I could spend days with them and be perfectly happy and I really hope my kids will be the same way.
56. I grew up thinking and saying that I would never live in the "country" . . . and here I am! But I love it and couldn't imagine living in a big city.
57. I can be quite stubborn.
58. I would love to be an interior designer one day. Maybe when my kids get a little older and I have more time. Will that ever happen?
59. I never carry cash with me.
60. I enjoy listening to the radio, but don't ask me who the artist is cause chances are I won't know.
61. I don't really like to shop, unless I am going for something specific. (or need a break ... then I LOVE to shop)
62. I wish I had a maid . . . I know, keep dreaming!
63. I will stay up until 2 am to make a birthday cake for my boys, but don't like to have to destroy all the hard work the next day! So I usually make an extra plain cake to cut into and the fun ones are just for looks.
64. I really, really like cake decorating.
65. I have a shaky hand when it comes to fine motor skills. Like painting my nails or decorating a cake!
66. I try to play with my kids as much as possible, so if you come over and my house is a disaster . . . I've been playing!
67. I wish I could have known my Grandma Miller. She died of cancer when I was about two.
68. I hate bugs. Especially bees and spiders.
69. I wonder about the economy. Who knew we would be paying $4 a gallon???
70. I love it when Mason and Griffin come home from school and has learned something completely new! They explain things in such a cute way and are quite talkative these days.
71. I will most likely get sick a few days before vacation. WHY? I don't know, but it has happened may times and now seems to be happening with my boys :(
72. I wish there was a cure for eczema. I feel so bad for my little guys and their itchy, painful, rashy spots! (Especially little Griff in the summer . . . he can barely wear shoes his feet are so bad)
73. I am not a worrier. I leave that up to Kasey:)
74. My favorite colors are anything warm and fallish. I love browns, reds, and oranges
75. I like to "people watch". It can be quite entertaining
76. I like to think that I'm very responsible, and when others are not, it bugs me
77. I want my kids to grow up being independent and loving. I think these are two very important qualities
78. I have been stuck on #78 for 2 years. WHAT?
79. I love purses. But not enough to change them according to my outfit. I seem to rotate seasonally.
80. Although I grew up with many animals, I don't care to have any of my own.
81. I have learned in the past two years that I have two qualities that I am very thankful for; strength and courage.
82. I have a love for long, dangly earrings.
83. I love to watch my kids while they are sleeping. There is something so soothing and peaceful about a sleeping child.

84. I like how I feel when I exercise and eat healthy and notice a BIG difference when I don't.

85. I love chocolate. I could eat a piece after every meal. Especially lindt milk chocolate ... my mouth is watering!

86. I have had many hairstyles over the years. Right now it is longer than it's been in years and I am loving it.

87. I recently became a HUGE fan of sushi and even crave it.

88. I picked a great guy. He is a wonderful husband, daddy, and most of all friend.

89. I love browsing blogs and pinterest and spend way too much time doing it.

90. I need my quiet time every day. The kids nap in the afternoon for a couple hours and I don't know what I would do without this time!

91. I don't have a lot of girlfriends, but the few that I have I cherish. They are my girls and life would not be the same without them!

92. I love a good cup of coffee or green tea in the morning. There is something about a nice warm drink that helps start the day off right.

93. I tend to not be super outgoing. I like my little bubble! I guess it is just comfortable.

94. I get super shaky if I don't eat often. I have been told I am hypo glycemic and believe it. No skipping meals for me.

95. I get heartburn terribly with each pregnancy.

96. I enjoy playing a good volleyball match ... even if I am sore the next day!

97. I feel extremely lucky to be part of two amazing families. I know a lot of people struggle with in-laws and so I am very lucky to have married into such a great and loving family.

98. I have a knack for putting together a party. I love everything about it. The planning, the shopping, the cooking, the cake decorating, and the partying.

99. I love a good pedicure, but the manicure I could do without.

100. I love being a mom. As hard as it is, I feel very blessed to have four beautiful, healthy kids. They have my heart!

Wrapping up October

2011-11-23T23:48:00.001-07:00

I love October. The weather is still nice, there are activities all month long, I start making a lot more soup, and burning my favorite fall scents. So I couldn’t move on to the winter months without recording all things October!

Pumpkin Carving

A ride on the fright train …

Home made birthday cards for Grandma Jackie (she has a Halloween birthday)

And of coarse Halloween itself!

Mason as Batman

Griffin as Spiderman

Daxon as a Mo Town Monster (his words … I have NO idea where he came up with the Mo Town part!)

Navi as a Strawberry

What Halloween Looks Like Around Here

2011-10-29T13:35:00.001-06:00

As the kids get a little older they are getting more and more interested and excited about holidays.

Halloween is NO exception!

We decided to make our laundry room door into our artwork display door. We will rotate depending on the season or holiday. I am really loving this because it keeps everything contained to one place but also displayed in a spot that everyone can enjoy but it’s not in your face all the time. The kids also love it and are so proud when we hang their projects and artwork up on the door.

Dax thought it would be funny to become a pumpkin head. That is until the pumpkin got stuck on his head!

Griff’s preschool class had a Halloween program that they put on for the parents. They all dressed up in their costumes, sang the Halloween songs that they learned for us, and even did a Halloween dance. It was a lot of fun and Dax and Navi even go to dress up and trick or treat at the end.

This is what I got when I asked for a super hero pose.

We did a little photo shoot for my little pumpkin at 20 months. She is a true girl and loved every minute of it. She even says cheese as soon as she sees the camera.

And what would Halloween time be without some fun Halloween treats?! My sister made these bones for her kids and they loved them so I thought I would do the same. They are super easy to make and a lot of fun to eat!

We are off to a kids fright train tonight, carving pumpkins and making caramel apples tomorrow and finally trick or treating on Monday. It’s going to be a fun and busy weekend.

Happy Halloween!

Fieldtrip

2011-10-29T11:14:00.001-06:00

Dax, Navi and I got to tag along with Griff on his fieldtrip to the fire station and library. They had a great time and thought it was so cool to get to actually go inside the fire truck. It’s so fun to see how much Griff is soaking in this year compared to last year. He LOVES preschool! In fact the other day we were in a hurry and I was trying to prod him to get ready. I said something like: You have GOT to hurry and get dressed .. and he replied “I don’t even care if I have to get dressed because I LIKE preschool.” He sure told me!

The firemen coaxed Miss Stacey into being their model. The kids thought that was pretty funny!

The second half of the fieldtrip was at the library. This part was a little more of a challenge … lunch time, nap time, you get the picture! But they enjoyed listening to story time and getting to choose a few books to check out. Dax fit right in with the class. He sat with them and even asked the librarian a few questions. I think he will love preschool next year!

Pumpkin Pickin’

2011-10-13T16:50:00.001-06:00

This year we decided not to plant a garden … so we headed to a little pumpkin patch in our neighborhood and let the kids pick a few pumpkins. They had a great time tromping through the patch and found some awesome pumpkins!

The family that does the pumpkin patch also raises turkeys. The kids thought they were so funny and loved looking at them.

Navi is super into posing and smiling for the camera these days so I have to take advantage while I can!

Family Pictures

2011-10-12T21:50:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago we had family pictures taken with Kasey’s family. We had them done at his Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Claude’s barn which is just up the street from our house. Brittany did a fabulous job as usual. She captured everything that we wanted and I am so happy with how they turned out!

Be prepared for a picture overload!

Meet Slimy and Spotty

2011-10-12T17:21:00.001-06:00

The boys were out playing in the back yard a few weeks ago and found these cute little frogs. They begged to keep them and I figured since we won’t be getting a dog or cat anytime soon, that a couple frogs would be ok. They were SOOO excited. It was in the morning before school when they caught them and when it was time to go to school Mase told me that his stomach hurt because he was so excited about the frogs.

Navi just loves looking at them … and carrying their cage around … and checking out their food (live crickets). She will stand by the counter and scream until I get them down for her to look at!

How Did it Happen?!?

2011-10-12T14:06:00.001-06:00

My baby is officially not a baby any more! In August my little miss turned 18 months, although you would think she turned two. She is sassy as ever, very opinionated (and even though she only says a few word she can sure get her point across), and extremely independent. She wants to do everything herself. I am loving her spunky little personality and can’t wait to see what she has in store for us!

Preschool

2011-10-12T11:05:00.001-06:00

Griff is in his last year of preschool and loving it. It was not an easy decision for me. He has an August birthday and could have gone to Kindergarten this year. I am not the type of mom to hold one of my kids back just so he is the biggest or for sports reasons. I really just want what’s best for my kids and I didn’t want Griff to struggle in school just because I was ready for him to be going everyday. He was definitely ready socially but I wasn’t sure academically. We went back and forth on the decision and finally decided the best thing for Griffin would be one more year of preschool. I was a little worried about him being bored doing the same things he did last year, but boy was I wrong. It is so interesting to see how much more he is retaining this year and how excited he is about everything he learns. I am so glad we made the decision to hold him back and think that he can only benefit from it during the rest of his schooling!

Little Miss had to get in on the action! She would copy everything Griff did. It was so cute!

LOOK! No Training Wheels!

2011-10-12T10:38:00.001-06:00

This summer Griff learned to ride his bike without training wheels. He had really been wanting to ride the dirt bike (it’s Mason’s old bike with out training wheels) and one day just decided that he could do it. It only took a few minutes of Dad running with him until he got the hang of it!

Second Grade!

2011-09-27T09:19:00.001-06:00

Mason started school a few weeks ago. Second grade! He got a teacher that is new to the school so naturally I was a little worried since there wasn’t anyone that knew anything about her. So far we have been pleasantly surprised. Mason really likes her and his class.

The ducks followed us for awhile as we were walking into the school. Mason thought that was pretty funny!

I am amazed every year at how fast he learns and improves. He is such a great reader and LOVES beat his time in math. He is continually coming home with builder tickets (which are given out at school for good behavior) and is really proud of them. I think it’s going to be another great year!

Our First Family trip to Pine

2011-09-12T18:37:00.001-06:00

It seems like every year we have big plans of going on a summer family vacation and every year it doesn’t end up happening. This summer I had had enough. Mason is 7 this year and I want my kids to have those memories like I do from a yearly summer vacation. So no more excuses … we were going! We decided to take the kids to my grandparents cabin in Pine, Idaho. It’s about a 5 hour drive (which I was pretty worried about, but we made it!). This turned out to be the best place to go. It was like camping, but with all the luxuries of the cabin. Everyone had a blast! So much so that we even extended our trip for an extra day because we just weren’t ready to go home.

Our plan was to leave by 10:00 am on Thursday morning. We left at 11:00 and made it about 20 minutes before we realized that we had for got the key to the cabin. So by the time we got back home and left again it was close to noon. Once we got on the road for real, we drove about half way (to Burley, ID) and stopped for lunch. The kids did really pretty good in the car. Of coarse we had a few moments here and there, but all in all it wasn’t bad! Once we got to the cabin around 5:00 we unpacked and then headed over to the bridge for some fishing. Navi and Dax thought it was pretty fun to ride in the wagon … until we realized it had a flat tire and thought it would be much easier for them to walk.

Navi loved all of the flowers around the cabin. She liked to walk back and forth on the path while running her hands through them.

While the boys fished Navi and I went back to the cabin for some long pants and ended up relaxing on the porch swing. She likes to make this little scowl whenever I get the camera out … little stinker!

Once the boys got back from fishing we made a fire and roasted some hotdogs for dinner. The kids loved cooking and eating outside. Mason even spotted a couple of deer across the river!

The one thing that I was a little worried about was how good the kids were going to sleep. Especially Navi and Dax since they very rarely sleep out of their own beds. I would have to say it was a complete success. Navi never made a peep after putting her down and Dax was out in minutes!

Dax is fast asleep … with his blankie in his mouth! He sleeps like that every night.

Friday morning we got up and had breakfast and then decided that it was time to clean out the hot tub. The boys found a lizard in it and thought that was pretty cool. And they all had a blast helping Kasey clean it out and fill it up.

At some point Griff had a meltdown and wouldn’t talk to or look at anyone. Even when he’s mad he’s still pretty darn cute!

Finally the hot tub was full and we spent most of the day in and out.

Later that afternoon Kasey got Grandpa’s old Zodiac out and let the kids float in it while he help in from a rope (It leaks so we couldn’t actually float it down the river). Mason was pretty nervous about it but they still had fun.

On Saturday morning we woke up to a new friend roaming the property. This time Griff was pretty nervous but Dax loved him! After a couple hours we found his owners and the kids were sad to see him go.

We did some more swimming and then while the rest of the kids were sleeping, Kasey and Griff went out to try some more fishing. They weren’t gone more than 30 minutes before they came back with a fish. Griff had caught his first fish EVER on his first cast of the day. He was beyond excited and we couldn’t wipe the smile off his face if we had wanted too!

We did some chillin in the cabin before heading over to the river to gut the fish. This was hilarious. I remember gutting the fish all the time as a kid and liking to do it. Kasey wanted nothing to do with it and neither did the boys. In fact the boys all covered their eyes until I had it all cleaned out and then they thought it was cool to look at. They just didn’t want to see any blood. I guess I am the weird one for liking it!

Sunday we decided to go find a spot at Anderson Reservoir and let the kids play around, fish, throw rocks and anything else they could think of.

We all had such a great vacation and were asking ourselves over and over again why we had waited to long to come. I think we will be making it a yearly trip and can’t wait until next summer rolls around so we can go again!

It’s September!

2011-09-07T11:00:00.001-06:00

So why not post about the 4th of July?!?

We had a great 4th this year. The morning started early for me! I ran the West Point 5k and then met Kasey and the kids at the parade. Grandpa Kent put his tractor in the parade this year and the kids thought that was pretty cool.

Later that afternoon we had Kent, Jackie, Krista and Bobby over for a BBQ. We made chicken and veggie shish-ka-bobs, corn on the cob, mango quinoa salad (my new favorite!), and a festive fruit pizza!

After dinner the kids were dying to start the fireworks. So we did, even though it wasn’t dark. They LOVE LOVE the parachute ones. They thought it was so fun to see were the breeze took the parachute and even funner to chase it down and try to catch it before it hit the ground.

Mason and Griffin spent hours on the driveway burning their parachutes and army guys. They are so intrigued by fire … such boys!

After the fireworks miss Navi was off to bed and the boys got to try out their new red white and blue transformer jammies. They LOVE to have matching jammies. And then the sillies began!

I told G to make the meanest face possible. Once I told him to do that he couldn’t stop smiling!

The boys had a blast smashing all of the fireworks with their scooters once we were done! We had a great fourth and finished the night watching the city fireworks from our deck!

Cousins Here!

2011-08-14T11:17:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago my sister and her three kids came to visit. They live about an hour and a half away so we don’t see them as often as we would like! I always try to keep it a surprise when they are coming so when Ty walked in the house the boys were sooo excited! The kids spent the day playing out in the backyard while Julie and I enjoyed watching them and visiting on the deck. It was such a nice day and the kids got along beautifully! I sure wish we lived a little closer!

Mason and Ty had matching swim suits and thought that was pretty awesome! (Julie and I had no idea … but obviously have similar taste!)

Little Miss loved spending the day outside … she is just too stinkin cute for words!

Dax and Maddie were such little buddies the entire day. They were pretty much inseparable and loved having another person their age to play with. Usually when we get together Dax is following Maddie around hoping she will play with him and Maddie is trying to push him away, so this was such a nice change!

Summer Baseball

2011-08-11T10:06:00.001-06:00

Mason and Griffin both played baseball (t ball for Griff) this summer. This was Griff’s first time playing. He was the smallest one on his team, made the funniest face while trying to run fast and had the cutest swing ever. He was so fun to watch!

This was Mason’s second season. He takes it very seriously. He was a little nervous at first but quickly got the hang of it again and by the end of the season was hitting each time off of the pitching machine and not needing the t at all.

Dax and Navi loved to go to the games. We were there twice a week for anywhere form 1 – 3 hours depending on the game schedules, and they did great! I think just being outside and able to roam around (and also the snow cones) kept them plenty happy!

Summer Fun

2011-08-07T21:43:00.001-06:00

We have tried to stay busy this summer doing things at home or close to. (So much easier with the kids!)

Navi Loves getting her toenails painted. It is the cutest thing ever. She sits so still and watches me do it. Then she will wave her hand back and forth to dry them. I love how girly she is. But also much a tomboy at the same time!

We have had hot dog and marshmallow roasts in the back yard. These are always a hit with the kids! And I will admit I don’t mind not having to cook!

We spend many days swimming in Grandma Jackie’s backyard. I love it, the kids love it, and I think most of all Jackie loves it. There’s nothing better than a hot summer day spent outside in the pool with great company!

Check Navi out in this picture. Griff is trying to make her look at the camera … too funny!

Just ONE Reason …

2011-08-07T21:19:00.001-06:00

Why it’s so fun to have a little girl!

Pineview

2011-08-04T21:35:00.001-06:00

We usually try to take a trip over to Pineview Dam every summer so a few weeks ago we did just that. This year the water was so high that there was only about a 10 foot section of sand between the parking lot and water! The kids had a blast and we discovered just how much of a water baby Navi is. She LOVED it and was fearless in the water.

Dax turned into Frankenstein every time he got into the water. It was a little windy and with being wet he stiffened up like a board. It was pretty funny to watch!

On the way home we stopped to check out the waterfall in the canyon. It was super loud and made for a super good picture … right?!?

Lauren and DJ’s Wedding

2011-08-04T20:45:00.001-06:00

My little sister Lauren got married on June 11. She looked absolutely gorgeous! I think we are all so used to her in her casual jeans and t shirts that to see her so done up was so fun! She and DJ got married at the Riter Mansion in Logan. She lucked out with perfect weather and was able to do the ceremony outside. It was just perfect! Mason was the ring bearer and took his job very seriously. He did a great job and delivered the rings without a hitch!

Since I am being lazy tonight … here are some pictures of the day in random order!

By the way, my sil Anna (standing to my left) is 8 months prego in these pictures. Isn’t she darling! You can’t even tell!

They had cookies and milk for the guests at the reception. It was a huge hit with the kids!

Aren’t my sisters gorgeous!?

I love this shot of all the girls with our mom! And speaking of my mom … she was definitely the hottest, most stylish mom there! Love her!

Navi kept herself busy checking out the drain … and going for walks with my Aunt Lynn.

Girls Trip to Seattle

2011-07-26T16:01:00.001-06:00

I got to go on a girls trip in the beginning of June with my BF Brooke! We decided on Seattle so that we could go and visit a friend (also named Brooke) that recently moved there with her family. We had such a great time and got to do so many fun things!

Here we are on the plane ride … couldn’t wait to get there! We flew in on a Thursday evening and got in around 9. Brooke picked us up from the airport and we drove back to her house, had some food, chatted a while and then went to bed.

The next day was a big day! It was Brooke’s birthday and it was for sure a great day. First on the list was kayaking. We went to a gorgeous little inlet where we met our guide, got suited up, and then headed out to the water. This was my first time kayaking, but hopefully won’t be my last. It was such perfect weather, company, and scenery. The silence of the lake was wonderful. Such a change from everyday life!

Next we headed to a place called Deception Pass. It was also beautiful. We walked over the bridge and then down a trail that ended up on the beach below the bridge. This is something that I think the kids would have loved and I will for sure take them there if we ever go as a family!

After stopping for some delicious seafood and drinks we went and visited a lavender farm and then off to a little known driftwood beach. All along the beach were a whole bunch of tepees and forts that people had made out of the driftwood. There were also hundreds of crabs. Most of them were really little but we did see a few pretty good sized ones!

The next two days we hung out by the pool, went to a roller derby, toured a brewery, and did a lot of sightseeing and shopping around Seattle. I had such a great time and was glad to get a much needed break and escape from real life.

Little Miss …

2011-07-03T15:01:00.001-06:00

As I was looking through my camera the boys were asking me why I have so many pictures of Navi. I guess because she is the baby, and the only girl, and still so little, and oh so adorable! Anyway I wanted to remember all the fun stages of my little miss … also known around here as Navi, Naves, Navers, goo goo, princess, sissie, and sister.

She loves the dirt! I can’t keep her out. She gets a bath twice as much as anyone else around here all because of her love of dirt!

I just love all the rolls. Too bad they aren’t so loveable when you’re my age!

It seems if she finds mud or dirt or sand … it becomes a hair accessory. Not sure why, but it never fails.

I also love her curls. She doesn’t have a lot of hair … but its curly and oh so adorable!

She has a love for all things chocolate … just like her mommy!

I saved my favorite picture for last. She is so in her comfort zone here. Silky pink bunny in hand and fingers in mouth. Love it!

Sillies

2011-07-03T09:41:00.001-06:00

SHOWERS

2011-06-25T15:27:00.001-06:00

Recently I got to do a baby shower for my sis in law Anna, and a bridal shower for my little sister Lauren. In between these showers we also had Daxon and Mason’s birthdays. Needless to say it’s been pretty busy around here!

The first shower was for Anna. Her and my brother Ryan are expecting their first baby in a few weeks! They are having a little boy and naming him Easton Ryan. If you know Ryan and Anna then you know they are very into baseball. I tried gearing the shower towards baseball without actually using a baseball theme. I decided to go with red, white, and blue for an all American look and think it turned out so cute! We had the shower at 10:30 so decided to do a brunch. It was complete with a breakfast casserole, muffins, donuts, pastries, fruit and juice.

Isn’t she such cute prego lady? I think so!

I love this flower arrangement. I took a clear vase and wrapped it with jute. Then arranged it with an assortment of white flowers. Super cute and easy!

I used the things that I bought her to decorate by hanging them from a rope with clothespins! Such a cute, cheap way to add some color in the room!

This is Anna and her sister holding up the baseball bedding that Anna’s mom MADE for her. It was adorable to say the least!

Next was Lauren’s shower. This one was so much fun to do because my sister Julie and sil Anna helped with it and so I felt like with all of us working on it, we could go a little crazy! We decided to go with Lauren’s wedding colors which were orange, lime green, and a bright sea blue. It was so fun and summery (is that even a word?)!

We stopped our frantic assembly of everything for a quick shot of the hostesses.

We bought vases and plates from the DI, spray painted them blue and glued the plates to the vases to make different leveled serving platters. I also spray painted the bucket that the water bottles in to match. (It was from Anna’s shower … used to be red)

This shower was in the afternoon so we served finger foods like fruit and veggie trays, pinwheels, mini chicken salad sami’s, mini cupcakes, cream puffs, and an assortment of truffles.

We also got frames form the DI, spray painted them white, put a cute piece of scrapbook paper inside and then cut out a vinyl saying to put on the glass. Julie and Anna did these and they turned out so cute! We used them to adorn the gift table as well as other random places in the room.

Lauren had a great turn out and ended up with tons of great gifts. I think after all of her showers she ended up with 4 or 5 crockpots!

We didn’t get many shots of the guests but of coarse managed to squeeze on in of the beautiful little girl! She loved being at the party and quickly became the center of attention.

I of coarse had to embarrass her a little . . . it’s hard to tell from the picture but she was bright red. We practically had to make her pull it out of the bag!

Griff’s Graduation

2011-06-24T17:04:00.001-06:00

Griffin had his preschool graduation at the end of May. They had it at the high school so there would be room for all of the families to come watch. Doesn’t he look so grown up … and ~~cute~~ handsome!

The kids put on a program to show all that they learned throughout the year. It was so cute top see him with his classmates. They worked really hard and did a great job!

After the program they did the graduation walk where they got their diplomas and hats. Griffin was so proud and loved that we had a night focused just on him! (After graduation he got to pick where he wanted to go for dinner …. McDonalds! )

Here he is with Miss Laura (the kids usually called her teacher Laura). She was a great teacher and we are excited to be going back to her again in the fall!

End of Year Field Trips

2011-06-24T16:46:00.001-06:00

Mason got to go to the Zoo this year on his fieldtrip. He begged me to go with him and thanks to Cheryl and Jackie watching the other kiddos I was able to go! It was so fun to see Mase in his element with his buddies from school. They had a blast and so did I! Mase opted to ride with me in the car instead of on the bus with his class. Here he is showing off his lost tooth!

We of coarse had to ride the train. I love that my little guy still wanted to sit by his mom … and isn’t this the best shot of us? I may be biased …

From left to right in the first picture: Bosten, Jack, Mason, Sutton (and Sutton’s little brother in green)

Got to get the elephant shot! And then Mason and Bosten waiting to load onto the bus to head home after a gorgeous day at the zoo!

Griffin’s preschool class did a end of year carnival. They had it at the park and lucked out with good weather! The kids got to go around to different stations and play games for little prizes. Dax loved that he got to tag along with his big brother.

Their favorite station was the face painting. Who knew they would love it so much? I think by the end Dax had one on each cheek and his forehead. At the end of the carnival they each got to have a few turn on the water slide. They weren’t to sure about it at first but I could hardly peel them away by the end!

Look who’s 7!

2011-06-02T09:57:00.001-06:00

Mason turned seven on May 18. The thought of having a seven year old is making me feel OLD! He had such a fun day and was so excited that it fell on a school day. (Because he got to bring sugar cookies to class!) The morning started off pretty rough when I woke up to find that his cake that I had stayed up until 2 am the night before was broken in half. Yep that’s right. There was no repair possible. I thought to myself, there is no way in hell that I will be able to make him a birthday breakfast, ~~repair~~ remake his cake and get the house cleaned and decorated for a party while also taking care of the three little kids. I really wanted to cry. But Mason beat me to it and it broke my heart, so I had to hold it together and told him I would do the best I could to make it a perfect day. So I made him his birthday breakfast (rollers) and brought him to school. He was so cute when I dropped him off. He told me “Mom it’s ok of you don’t have time to make another cake, we can eat the left over cookies.” I knew he was just trying to make me feel better. Long story short, it was a crazy hectic day but I got it done and he was SOOO excited!

As soon as Mase got home from school we headed over to the fun center for some bouncing, glo in the dark golfing, and bowling.

The crew : Griffin, Madden, Bosten, Mason, and Daxon

After the fun center we headed home for cake and ice cream. When we opened the garage door Mason spotted his 4 wheeler and about flew out of his seat. He was so excited and you couldn’t wipe the smile off his face!

He of coarse had to take it out for a joyride an didn’t even mind getting soaked in the process!

Once we got him inside it was time for cake and ice cream and a few presents. Oh and don’t forget Chinese for dinner. This is currently his favorite!

The boys loved wearing their pirate attire complete with bandanas, eye patches, swords, and even a few tattoos!

Mason got spoiled as usual. He had such a great day and I was just happy to make him happy! I love my ~~little~~ guy and can hardly believe that my first born is seven! He is the most loving, affectionate, smart little boy! He loves school (and is in fact sad that it will soon be over), soccer, baseball, riding his 4 wheeler, star wars, the Wii and playing with his friends.

Milestones

2011-05-19T20:46:00.001-06:00

We have had a few milestones at our house over the last few weeks.

Milestone #1

Mason has had a wiggly bottom tooth for probably six months. It started out just the tiniest bit wiggly and over time got more and more until finally he couldn’t stand it another minute. First he asked me to pull it out. I didn’t realize until he asked me how grossed out I get by loose teeth. And really it’s the pulling the tooth out that I couldn’t handle. So I said no. He then proceeded to ask Grandma Jackie, and she also said no. Finally when Kasey got home he was the brave one and pulled it right out. Mason was SOOO excited to loose his first tooth! He made sure to put it in a plastic baggie and under his pillow for the tooth fairy (who by the way came through with two dollars)!

Milestone #2

Navi has pigtails!!! It’s so cute when I do her hair. She just sits up on my bathroom counter and plays with whatever she can get her little hands on, but doesn’t mind me combing, curling, and tugging. I figure the more we do it the more she will be used to it!

Milestone #3

Daxon is now officially in a big boy bed! He really could have stayed in his crib. He never climbed out or gave us any problems. In fact he loved his crib. He would go to bed around 9:30 and sleep in until at least 10:00 am, sometimes 11:00. It was wonderful. Which is why I was reluctant to change him to a big boy bed. But it was time. He loved his crib so much that it was very very hard for him to sleep anywhere else. And not to mention he was just plain growing out of it. Once we made the change he did great! We had a couple of days getting used to the adjustment and he would come out of his room 5 or 6 times before falling asleep. He has now been in his bed for a few weeks and does fabulous!

Easter Weekend

2011-05-09T17:34:00.001-06:00

On Saturday we headed to my parents house for their annual Easter egg hunt. Since Daxon’s birthday was the day before, we also did a little birthday celebrating as well. He was loving the attention and of coarse super excited for “the happy birthday song”!

My sister in law Anna is expecting her first baby in July and was getting plenty of practice in with Navi and little Chase. Doesn’t she just look like a natural?

After lunch and birthday cake the Easter Bunny stopped by and the kids got to go outside for the hunt. Navi found her basket and didn’t move once she found the treats inside . . . . she takes after me I guess!

I had to try for a family shot (Kasey was working). This is as successful as it got!

On Easter morning we had an Easter egg hunt outside. The boys (Griff imparticular) requested that the Easter Bunny hide the eggs a little harder than last year. There were no complaints so I guess he delivered! The rest of the day was spent relaxing and napping before we headed over to Grandma Cheryl's house for yet another hunt and some delicious food.

Here’s Navs in her Easter duds in Cheryl's front yard

All in all it was a great Easter … we are officially Eastered and sugared out!

Daxon is THREE!!!

2011-05-01T21:28:00.001-06:00

This little guy turned three last week!

He chose a toaster strudel and hot chocolate for breakfast. Yum.

He spent the morning anticipating his party.

He sat in the barstool and eyed his dino cake.

He begged to do the dishes … so of coarse I let him!

Finally he got ready and we went to check Mason out of school and headed to the swimming pool.

And after swimming (no “deep water” for him) he chose a chicken nugget happy meal with ~~“frite”~~ chocolate milk for lunch.

After an afternoon nap the party began!

He chose Broccoli Cheese Soup for dinner.

He opened his presents and of coarse got spoiled rotten.

Then it was time for cake!

He requested a dino cake … so a dino cake he got.

He had been asking me all day when we could sing the happy birthday song.

So we sang. And then sang again when big brother Griff blew the candles out before Dax had a chance to even think about it.

Notice the matching shirts. Not only were my boys wearing them but their buddies showed up in them as well. You would think their moms were best friends or something!

Little miss of coarse had to wear her party dress.

Much fun was had with a new bubble machine from mom and dad.

I love Dax in the background. EATING the bubbles. YUM.

And of coarse my little funny man … “mom look, I’m pooping bubbles”

This was a little after party gift from Mom and Dad.

What little boy doesn’t need a fish tank in his room?

I think it was a successful day!

Newest Nephew

2011-04-21T08:52:00.000-06:00

My sister Julie had her little guy last week so on Sunday Mason and I went up to visit them. After a couple days they settled on the name Chase Justin Baumgartner. He is such a cute, sweet baby. He has lots of dark hair and the most perfect little features. It was so fun snuggling a little new born again! Julie was pretty much super woman and had him naturally. Not by her plans, but between him coming quite fast and the nurses taking their dear sweet time . . . natural it was! I get a little anxious with even the thought of a natural delivery. Good thing I am done and won’t ever have to do that!

Mason and Ty got to catch up and have a little cousin bonding time while I had baby time. Although I do have to day that Mason was very intrigued by Chase and kept telling me that he was the cutest baby he had ever seen. These two play so well together and hopefully Mason was a good distraction for Ty!

Our last couple weeks …

2011-04-12T10:35:00.001-06:00

have seemed really busy, but looking back through my pictures I’m not quite sure what we have been doing. I guess that’s life with 4 kiddos!

These two are such buddies. Navi gets multiple kisses and loves every day from Griff. Probably more than I do. He just can’t get enough of her!

Griff got to dress up as his favorite fairy tale character for preschool. When I asked him what he wanted to be, he had nothing. I’m not sure he even knows of any. Unless you consider Spiderman, Batman, or any Star Wars character to be from a fairy tale! So we went with Prince Charming. He was okay with it as long as he got to have a sword!

My little sister Lauren was in a Rodeo close to our house so we went to watch. She does break away roping and it’s not very often that we get to watch her. The boys were super excited to go and loved every minute of it. While we were watching, Griff started coughing and sneezing. We thought his allergies were just acting up but not more than a few minutes later, he was having a rough time breathing. I guess since it was an indoor arena it was too much for him. We didn’t want his asthma getting out of control so we left as soon as Lauren roped. Poor little guy. I can’t even imagine the feeling of asthma. But he’s a trooper and rarely complains.

Here’s the kids with Laurens fiancé DJ.

And here’s the kids having a movie night. They love to do this. They spread all of the blankets out and each have their own little spot. I thought it was so cute that Navi was sitting there like one of the big kids enjoying her popcorn!

Mischief

2011-03-14T21:41:00.001-06:00

This girl gets into EVERYTHING these days. She is super busy and if she’s not in the cabinet, then she is sure to be pulling everything out!

Serial Snow Blower Stealer

2011-03-14T09:20:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago our snow blower was stolen out of our garage. I am thinking the dude was not very smart seeing how he walked right past the BOB double stroller and numerous other expensive things.

He may have been stupid, but he was brave. It was in the middle of the day. I was home. Really? So much for feeling safe. Needless to say the garage door now stays down all the time.

The detective came by a few days ago to go over a few things. Griff ran downstairs and returned in his police attire. Cute. Then proceeded to tell the detective that he wanted to be a police when he grows up. Cuter. The detective responded by saying that he better not hope to make much money. WOW. I was a little bugged.

Yesterday while in the car the boys started talking about the "bad guy". Mason and Griffin were deciding what they would have done if they had seen the guy in action.

Mase: "I would hit him in the head with a shovel."

Griff: "I would punch him in the face."

Dax: "I would poop on him."

Sometimes you just have to laugh.

It's My Party...

2011-03-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Navi turned one on February 25 and we had her party the next day. It was a lot of fun and she did great, despite not having a nap! We did a pink and green bunny themed party. Which by the way was SO FUN to do! This was my first chance to do a little girly party ... LOVED IT!

Navi is such a fun little girl. She is a great sleeper, loves her naps, her food, her pink bunny, sucking on her two fingers, torturing her brothers (especially Dax), waving bye bye, pulling everything out of the cupboards, playing with moms makeup brushes, getting her hair done, going down the stairs by herself, and being outside. She has a huge smile and an infectious laugh. She has completely changed the dynamic of our little family and I look at her every day and thank God for sending her to us!

Navi was so stinkin cute while opening her presents! I sat her in her little pink rocking chair expecting it to last all of about one present. But she surprised us all and sat in it the entire time, opening one present after another. She was very interested in tearing the paper off and you could tell that she knew that this was her day!

Mason and his best buddy Bosten ...

She started pretty timidly with the cake, but it was only a few minutes before she figured it out and pretty much demolished the entire thing. At the end she thought it was fun to slam her hand down on the cake and splatter it everywhere!

At the end of the night she got to enjoy a little daddy time and relax with a bottle in her new jammies. All that partying really wears a girl out!

PRECIOUS. PERFECT. PRICELESS.

2011-02-27T17:42:00.002-07:00

Here's Navi's one year pictures. They were taken by the very talented Brittany Hall.

I. Am. In. Love.

And a birthday post to come soon!

The BIG 30!!!

2011-02-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

Kasey turned the big 30 on January 29th. I had been planning a surprise party for him for quite a few months and was actually able to pull it off! Pulling off a surprise like this when you have four little ones to consider and a hubby that you tell everything to is NOT easy ... so much harder than I thought it would be!

The surprise started on Friday night. My parents took the kids for the weekend so while Kasey was at work I packed up their stuff, loaded everyone in the car and headed to the meeting spot that we had planned on. While we were driving Kasey called to let me know when he would be home and said "are you in the car?" I have no idea how he could tell, but I told him we were and would be back soon. When I got back he was home from work and he was shocked to find out that I was back ALONE and the kids would be gone for the weekend! It was really weird not to have them there but we took full advantage and decided to go see a movie (the first time in probably 5 years!).

I had asked him earlier in the week what he wanted to do for his birthday and he said "I just want to clean the garage and take a nap." ... typical Kasey! So on Saturday (his actual birthday) we slept in, enjoyed peace and quiet, and he cleaned the garage while I cleaned up inside and tried to get the house as ready as I could for the big surprise without him knowing.

The second surprise was his present. I gave him a card and inside it told him that we were heading for a couples massage that afternoon. Once he finished the garage we headed to our massage. (This was going to have to take the place of his nap!) Kasey was a little unsure at first (this was his first massage) but by the end said he would do it again. While we were out getting massages, Kasey's sister Krista, his mom, and his grandma came over to our house and started decorating and getting food ready for the party.

After our massages we were trying to decide where to go eat and Kasey wanted to get take out and go home ... but we couldn't go home for at least 3 more hours so I had to whine and stall and whine some more to get him to go shopping and out to eat. It was the most stressful 3 hours ever and I'm sure he thought I was insane. Then to top it all off his mom accidentally called while we were shopping and from then on out he thought something was wrong with her and just wanted to go home.

When it was finally time to come home, we pulled into the driveway and Kasey immediately saw all the cars at his parents house (they live two doors down). He was is panic mode. I can't even imagine what what going through his mind. He got right out and called his dad while walking toward their house. I had to run over, put my hands on his back and push him up the garage stairs and into the house. Once we got inside I felt like I could actually breathe again! Everyone was hiding in the kitchen with the lights off ... and boy oh boy was he surprised! It was perfect! We had about 25 of his friends and family there. Everyone came and he didn't have a clue. We spent the rest of the night catching up with old friends. We even had my brother in laws band come and play (which was so fun! ... thanks Bobby) and after the band we enjoyed a little Just Dance (I even got Kasey to play!)

All in all it was the perfect night and I couldn't have imagined it any better!

Brandon, Robby, and Jed

Brooke, Me, Mandee

Brooke and Mandee

A shot of the table and all the yummy food! ... and yes that is a boob cake in the middle!

A little Just Dance

Chad and Me ... trading glasses!

Krista and Kasey

Kasey and Kevin

There were so many more people that I wish I would have got pictures of but was having way too much fun! Thanks Krista, Jackie, and Cheryl for all your help! I couldn't have pulled it off without ya!

Random

2011-02-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

Some random shots of the kids ...

Dax LOVES to vacuum. Such a little helper!

Here's Navi at 11 1/2 months.

I found a snack ... and a seat!

My first ponytail (so small you can't even see it!)

a view from the back

Dax and Griff being silly after the bath

TEN MONTHS

2011-02-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Miss Navi decided she DID NOT like baby food anymore! She would just cry every time I got it out ... so solids here we come, and in full force! Once she started she never looked back (and neither did I). That girl can eat! I would hardly turn around and her tray would be empty and she would be making every attempt to let me know she wanted more.

Playing Catch Up ... Part 2

2011-02-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

For some reason my pictures won't turn ...grrr. And they are in backwards order so feel free to avoid this annoying post!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year! It seems to get better and better every year as we get into our own family traditions. (Not to mention the fact that I got to buy PINK this year. So fun!)

Christmas Eve was spent at my parents house. It was so nice to spend some time with the entire family. We stuffed ourselves as usual and had a great time enjoying one anothers company, exchanging gifts, watching the kiddos do the Nativity, and doing some crafts with the kids. We also found out that night that my brother and sil are expecting their first baby. It was the highlight of the night! So exciting!!!

After all of the festivities we headed home to put out some cookies and milk for Santa and a few carrots for the reindeer. The kids headed for bed and we prepared for the big morning ahead!

Mason was the first to wake up Christmas Morning. It was EARLY and we knew if we let him wake the rest of the kids up at that hour we would be in for a REALLY REALLY long day. So we were mean and made him wait. He did surprisingly well. He crawled into bed with us until about 7:30 when we finally let him wake Griff up.

The kids were SPOILED for lack of a better word and had a great day! It was so nice to spend the morning playing with the kids and all of their new goods. Then we went to Kasey's Grandma Cheryl and Grandpa Roberts house for a wonderful Christmas dinner and a little Just Dance on the Wii.

Christmas Eve in matching PJ's!

Navi's first baby doll ... she was so cute touching her fingers and toes!

Dax wanted nothing more than to lay on the couch and watch Land Before Time all night!

Grandpa Norm and his famous turkey.

Playing Catch Up!

2010-12-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

How I got 3 months behind is a mystery to me . . . but here I am in February finally posting about Halloween!

Griff's preschool class put on a program for the parents. They sang all of the Halloween's songs that they had learned and then got to tick or treat around to all of the parents. It was a lot of fun . . . except for when Dax decided that he is for some odd reason terrified of loud singing . . . and decided to scream for the last half of the program!

Griff in on the bottom row in the middle (next to the cowboy)

The kids had a blast carving pumpkins. I say carving, but really it end up them drawing on the face and then me carving! They won't even help get the guts out . . . it's much to sticky!

For Halloween this year we had Spiderman (Mason), Captain Rex from Star Wars (Griffin), a Cowboy (Daxon), and a Halloween baby with wings (Navi). We usually have the traditional taco soup for dinner but I opted for easy this year and got a pizza, which I think had become the new tradition. Then we headed out in the rain to visit the great grandparents and when it came time to do the actual door to door stuff, the rain had let up! Perfect Timing! So Kasey took the boys out and Navi and I stayed home where it was warm!

After trick or treating we headed to visit Grandma Jackie for her birthday. She had set up a fog machine on her front porch and it was a big hit!

We had a great Thanksgiving this year at Kent and Jackies house. We had wonderful food (as usual) and a fun time playing Just Dance on the Wii.

Jackie made the boys these super cute pirate pillows and filled them with all sorts of treasures!

And I had to throw in a few random shots of miss Navs and Dax. They just make me smile.

Eight Months

2010-12-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

I had my friend Aubrey (be posh photography) take Navi's 8 month pictures. As you can see she did a fabulous job. Navi pretty much cried the entire time (she was having major stranger anxiety and cut a tooth the next day) but we still got some amazing shots!

At 8 months Navi gets up on her hands and knees and rocks pretty much all day. She has 4 teeth, loves her bunny, is obsessed with her tongue, and is still pretty much bald!

Thanks so much Aubrey! You guys did a fabulous job!

Lovin the Weather!

2010-11-06T21:33:00.000-06:00

It has been so abnormally nice the past few weeks that we decided to take advantage of the warm weather and head to the pond. We took the double stroller for Navi and Dax and brought Mason and Griffins bikes and went around the loop a few times before parking it on the blanket and enjoying the sun (and a little root beer!) It was such a fun and relaxing way to spend a Sunday morning . . . I'm not sure why we don't do it more often!

Girls Trip - number 2!

2010-11-06T20:42:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago I got to go to Park City with my Mom, SIL, and Sisters for our 2nd annual girls trip! It was so much fun and much needed! We started off be hitting a few shops and the outlet and then heading over to main street for some pizza at Red Banjo. It was delish and we ate a ton! ( Which is allowed when on vacation . . . right?)

After dinner we headed to our hotel . . . which I might add was AWESOME! We stayed at the Escala Lodge at the Canyons in a huge sweet!. It really could have been a house. It was beautiful. And did I mention HUGE? Anna colored my hair (which I love) and then we stayed up late chatting, doing face masks, and laughing.

The next morning we slept in, had breakfast, and then headed to the outlets for a full day of shopping. Here we are in front of our Hotel.

We definitely know how to do some damage (and find a few deals along the way.)

We ended our trip with dinner at a cute little restaurant called Good Thymes. The food was fabulous. I'm thinking part of it might have been that after a full day of shopping without lunch, we were starving! This is such a fun tradition that we have started and I am already looking forward to next year!

Anna, me, Mom

Lauren and Julie

Pickin Pumpkins

2010-11-01T10:47:00.000-06:00

Every year we grow a pretty big pumpkin patch and end up with tons and tons of pumpkins. The kids love every part of it. From planting the seeds, to noticing the first green pumpkin, to watching them get bigger and bigger and eventually turn orange, to finally being able to pick them!

Mandee (my bff from high school) happened to be staying with us this weekend and got to join in on the fun!

G

2010-10-26T11:57:00.000-06:00

Griffin is growing up. It seems crazy to me that he is four, is wearing a 5T, plays with the big boys, and tells his teacher "that's too easy" when she asks him a question in class. He is full of personality and is also quite mischievous. We have recently discovered that he loves funny lines in movies and thinks he is so funny when he repeats them (just like his dad). The most recent movie that he is loving is How To Train Your Dragon.

Even though he is growing up, he still needs a nap. He can be almost impossible on the no nap days. He now goes to preschool 3 days a week during nap time and more times than not I will find him asleep on the couch within minutes after getting home.

Griff and Navi still have their special little bond . . . it's funny how the other two don't seem to pay much attention to her and in fact get easily bugged when she is crying. Griff is always aware of her and at her side cheering her up the second he hears her!

Fall Soccer

2010-10-26T10:25:00.000-06:00

Both Mason and Griffin played fall soccer. This was Masons third season and Griffins first. They were on different teams but ended up both being green, which they were pretty excited about!

Masons team was Green Lightning and was first and second graders. He was one of the younger kids on the team, but you would never know. He has improved leaps and bounds since his first season and absolutely loves every minute of it! He was always so excited to play and sad when his game was over. I asked him if he wanted to play basketball this fall/winter and he said, "no mom, I only play soccer and baseball." No complaints here!

He had a few friends from the neighborhood on his team. (Noah, top left. Pason, top right. Brynlee, next to Mase)

Spectators

Griffins team was the Alligators. This was his first season and he loved it. For Griff it was more about the social aspect . . . but he did get a foot on the ball a few times! He had a great coach who cheered Griff right up when he was crying at the first practice. (He does this with anything new . . . he cries at first but once he gets comfortable he loves it.) I was a little worried about how he would do with his asthma and it really wasn't a problem at all. YEA! I think his favorite part was at the end when he got a trophy and a big candy bar from his coach! Now he has his own trophy and is just like Mase!

Dax got to sit through 2 hours of games 2 times a week. He did really good and kept himself entertained with his tractors and treats!

Bob and Cheryl (Kasey's grandparents) came to just about every game! The boys loved seeing them there and having Grandma cheer them on!

Tonsils

2010-10-25T18:11:00.001-06:00

After being told 2 years ago that Mason should have his tonsils out, then dealing with strep over and over and over again for the past two years, we finally bit the bullet and had Masons tonsils taken out. Other than waking up from the anesthesia (which was ROUGH) he did great! I planned on him being out of school for a full week . . . and it ended up being two, but I think it will be so worth it! We are hoping for no more strep throat and just an all around healthier kid!

S I X

2010-10-25T17:24:00.000-06:00

I would say sorry for the picture overload . . .but I'm not. I just can't get enough of her (and all her rolls!) I love it! So at six months Navi was 26 1/2 inches (70%), 18 pounds 3 ounces (83%), and her head was 81%. So basically just perfect! She has 2 teeth, is starting to get some stranger anxiety, loves her brothers (especially Griff who she is enchanted with) and is really a pretty easy, happy baby!

SOOO tired :)

VEGAS

2010-10-25T09:37:00.000-06:00

Kasey and I went to Vegas a couple months ago with our good friends Brooke and Chad. It had been four years since our last vacation without kids so we were super excited and we couldn't have gone without all of the help from our families with the kids. (Thanks again everyone!!) We had a blast and it was much needed!

Brooke and I on the drive

Kasey . . . the driver

All dressed up to go out on the town

had to get the fountain shot

We saw this girl on Fremont Street and had to get a picture

Brooke and Chad

Griffs F O U R ! ! !

2010-10-23T10:53:00.000-06:00

Griffin turned four . . . ahem . . . in August. He chose to have a Star Wars party with pizza for dinner. He is getting so big! He now goes to preschool 3 days a week and loves it!

He loves his big brother and wants to do anything and everything that Mason does. He is still an extremely independent little guy with a whole lot of spunk! My mom says he reminds her of me when I was little. (I'm in for it!!!)

Navi and Kaseys sister Krista

This is so Griff!!!

So Much Love!

2010-08-19T09:24:00.000-06:00

I walked into the family room the other day and found Griffin playing so cute with Navi. He loves her so much, always has to give her a kiss and a love before bed (or even just leaving the room), and is always making her laugh . . . I think this little sister has started to bring out Griff's softer side!

Ride'm Cowboy

2010-08-17T10:39:00.000-06:00

Over the past few weeks Mason and Griffin have been sporting their Cowboy boots, hats and stick ponies just about everywhere we go. Daxon was feeling pretty left out and would steal their gear any chance he got! So Grandma Jackie came to the rescue and got Dax his own pair of boots and a straw hat, which by the way he LOVES! He has been wearing them pretty much all the time now and I think he looks pretty cute!

4 MONTHS

2010-08-16T17:16:00.001-06:00

Now that Navi is almost six months . . . I will post her 4 month pictures :)

4 MONTH STATS

HEIGHT : 24 3/4 " (60%)

WEIGHT : 15 pounds 6 ounces (77%)

HEAD : 16 1/2 " (68%)

So in other word . . . PERFECT!

She is now . . .

ROLLING OVER

SMILING and LAUGHING

HATING her BATHS and CARSEAT . . .

She totally completes our family and I love every minute with her!

Um . . . I hesitated in posting this picture . . . I sure am looking OLD these days! I guess that is what 4 kids will do to ya! (at least that is my excuse!)