Good friends don't happen often....

We have had some fun play time with friends the last couple of days. Complete with having them over for breakfast and lunch, doing hair, painting nails, dressing up at least dozen times, playing outside, going on a walk, playing high school musical, dancing, playing barbies, house, and Polly pockets. We even got to have tubby time with them! Kaylee is just beside herself, having her best girlfriend over for breakfast and she even got to get in the tub with her!! She thinks it's going to be a regular thing now, she asked if she could invite a different friend over for breakfast tomorrow. We love playing with the Campbells. Hopefully their brother Parker (Brayden's best friend) feels better soon so he can join us! He had surgery yesterday and has been up at Primary Children's. For more on his story and an update on him you can go to Parker


Girlfriends are the best!

Do you think their is anything wrong with arranged marriages? Brayden and Gracie are close in age. But look at Kade and Addi, it looks to me like they have something going. One of my kids has to end up with a Campbell kid.

Piggy back time


Giddy-up!!!


We wish you the best Parker (and family.) You have been in our thoughts and prayers. We love you guys and have so much fun when your around. Thanks for being good friends.

Surprise!

My mom's birthday was this past week. We were able to have a BBQ at our house on Sunday to surprise her for her birthday. Well it was kind of a surprise, she knew she was coming over for dinner but she didn't know I had invited my brothers and Grandpa to come as well. The kids got all into the "Surprise" aspect of it. They were hiding for about 20 minutes before she actually showed up. It was good to have my brothers there (minus Paul he couldn't make it.) It was good to catch up on some much needed time. I love the pictures of Ryan...no matter what you can always find him sleeping.

Kade loved hiding, playing, and jumping on Curtis. It's always great to have uncle's around.

The kids with their Great-Grandpa Keith "Grampsy"

With MorMor's and Papa Kenny

Happy 50th!!!!

Kade was just happy to finally be able to indulge in the cake! He didn't even bother with a fork. He just leaned over and shoved his face right into it! Gotta love the Costco cake!

There's No Buddy Like A Brother....

To preface this post, I need to note that we have finished our basement. We have a few small projects we are still working on but for the most part we have been able to start moving things down and start enjoying the space.....IT'S FABULOUS!!!!

Last Friday was my birthday and for my birthday I was able to go to Ikea (I think it's becoming a trend, I went last year as well for their Grand Opening. Kind of weird, I'm really not that obsessed with the place it just worked out that way.) We were able to purchase all the fun knick-knacks and furniture I've been wanting for the toy room and Brayden's room, including his new bed. But after we put all our handy skills to work and getting his bed all made, he sat on the bed and the mattress fell right to the floor. As you can tell from the picture below, the support beams they provided for the bed were terrible, it wasn't our inability to put the bed together. Surprisingly he was really anxious to sleep in his new room so we put the mattress on the floor so he could sleep down there. When Kade realized what was going on he ran out of the room and a couple minutes later came back with a pillow and a blanket and made himself a bed inside the frame of the bed and told me "nigh-night." I think he thought it was a crib. It was so funny but sad at the same time. I was not looking forward to moving Brayden downstairs because I thought it would be a rough transition for him. I thought he would be scared being downstairs all by himself. I never anticipated the separation anxiety that both of them would go through when they would no longer be sharing a room. They have been little buddies. They lay in bed at night giggling and talking (hence why they need to be separated.) Kade will crawl out of his crib and go crawl into bed with Brayden. But when I explained that this was Brayden's new room Kade just cried and cried, that is until I told him that he could be a big boy and go sleep in Brayden's old bed.

They gave Brayden loves and kisses a million times. They cried, traded stuffed animals. Brayden reassured them if they got scared they could come crawl in bed with him. Really I think he was hoping Kaylee would give him the same offer. Then it was off to the big boy bed!

Kade hopped up in bed and was SO excited. He has been so territorial of the bed ever since. If anybody even touches it he yells "MINE!" He so kindly helped me take down the crib. I had the screwdriver....he had the hammer. Bed time around here has been so much smoother. Kade sleeps GREAT in his new bed. He is no longer climbing out of bed, he actually waits for me to come get him out of bed in the morning, All the kids are sleeping in an extra hour in the morning. I think Kade was just so excited to crawl out of bed and go wake up Brayden and then go wake up Kaylee, and nobody was getting any sleep!

So for now....Sweet dreams!

I've Got No Strings....1st Grade Program

Brayden had his 1st grade program this week. Since he has been off track, his teacher made the kids a CD with all the program songs for them to practice. So for the past 3 weeks we have all been singing and practicing his program songs. It was hard during the program to not stand up and sing along with the kids. Oh wait....that was Kade that wanted to do that. I was busy chasing him the whole time because he wanted to go sit with his "Bray." The kids did a good job, Brayden even had a little speaking part. He was worried that he would get stage fright (like Brayden's ever been stage fright before?) but he was praying for himself for a couple of days before the program. After it was over he was so excited cause he said he was scared at all!

When the kids would stand up to sing a song Brayden would just disappear because he is so short. He kept trying to peak his head around the girl in front of him to make sure we could see him. Then after each song when they would sit down, he would bend over and rub his hands together really fast like he was all excited. (I can't really describe it but all the guys do it.) He was really cute.

The song his class sang is I've Got No Strings From Pinocchio and I thought this song just fit Brayden's personality. Part of the song goes:

Hi Ho the Merry-O
I'm as happy as can be
I want the world to know
Nothing ever worries me
I've got no strings to hold me down
To make me fret-To make me frown.



I just love Brayden's up beat personality. He is always so happy and loving and doesn't ever let anything worry him. I thought this song was so fitting for him and I thought it was so cute when they sang it.

Brayden has just loved his class and his teacher Mrs. Forman. She has been so great with him and I have been very impressed with all she has done for their class.

Off Track Fun...

Children's Museum.... Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street

Thankfully, Mike had a couple days off work. We wanted to do some fun things together, as well as get some work done around the house. Since the weather wasn't cooperating we couldn't go to the zoo like we had planned (Mike was real sad about that one.) So we decided to take the kids up to the Discovery Gateway. It's a lot of fun for the kids, but way overpriced in my opinion. Maybe it was because we paid for the extra Sesame Exhibit, or maybe it's just because I'm cheap, I don't know. They had fun though. Kade was running around having a blast then all the sudden he got a really high fever and got really sick. He kept asking if we could go home. So the day was cut kind of short but it turned out to be a fun day.

That same weekend Real Salt Lake played the LA Galaxy. Brayden thought he had to do a lot of convincing to get me to go to the soccer game. Little did he know it didn't take much to get me to there....

Once he realized the real reason I went to the game was to see David Beckham he was disgusted with me. He taunted him the whole game and wanted him out of the game. We had a blast going, it was Mike, Brayden and I. We have some great memories going to the games, this was the first game we didn't have Bill with us though. Brayden mentioned about 10 times how he wished Grandpa could be there with us. Frankly he would have been disgusted with me and my David Beckham obsession too. We always leave the games early because Mike hates fighting the crowds out of the stadium and out of the parking lots, and on the roads. He always hated that. Sorry Bill.

We went down to the petting zoo at Thanksgiving Point with Lindsay and her boys. It was such a beautiful day! We had a picnic out on the lawn and Lindsay and I got to eat at their yummy deli. The kids had so much fun here, and much better priced then the children's museum. They could pet all the animals but they were terrified to even touch them. But when it came time for the pony ride they all LOVED it! We also got to go on a wagon ride pulled by horses. We got sprayed by the sprinklers and Kaylee can't stop telling people "at least we got a free shower." Brayden loved dragging all the kids to their pretend jail. Kaylee loved seeing the chicken's that hatched the eggs that she ate that morning. Kade loved jumping up and down on the scale to see which animal he weighed as much as...I think it was the pig. I loved seeing the inappropriate show the llama's gave to us....so funny. Something you only see on America's Funniest Home Video's. We had a great day. The kids love being with their buddies Brooks and Breckon and I love hanging with Linds.

Princess Pedicure...

I think I have created a monster. A couple weeks ago my mom and I were going to get a pedicure so we took Kaylee along with us. Little did I know how much she would enjoy it. At the age of 4 I thought it was kind of silly for her to get the whole works like soaking her feet in the bubbles and getting massaged so I just asked them if they would paint her nails. Kaylee just played into the whole role of "pamper me please." She strutted over to pick her nail polish, then lounged back in the massaging chair. And the whole time in her most dramatic voice she continued to say "I LOVE pedicures. I wish I could do this everyday. This is the best because their are no boys around." The lady was cute with her and painted her nails too and then put butterflies and flowers on her little nails. And when she was finished Kaylee said, "Oh, that was the softest pedicure I ever got." She's a silly girl. But since then she has continued to ask me to go back. So she has been working on a reward chart and the reward she wanted to pick was to go back and get another pedicure. We'll see how long it will take her to fill her reward chart.

The day after Kaylee got her pedicure she had a late night princess party to go to. So she got all dolled up and made sure that she wore open toed shoes so everybody could see her toes. She had a great time with her little friends and thought it was a blast that she got to stay up way past her bedtime. She kept telling me, "I hope I'm home before midnight so I don't turn into a pumpkin." Let's just say she didn't turn into a pumpkin. She was home and all tucked into bed by 9:30.

Strawberries...Day 1

For as long as I can remember my Grandma has always had a garden. We always loved going over there and picking peas, corn, and strawberries. Well I am definitely not talented in this department nor does time allow me to start gardening, but I thought I would give it a shot this year. Even though I have a big back yard I don't have a spot to garden in, so my Dad and Laura bought me this cool strawberry pot for Mother's day. I have had the strawberry plants for a few weeks but didn't know what to do with them. We have been watering them and giving them sun and today was the day we planted them. Now let's see if we can keep this plant alive and possibly get some fruit off of it. Their is nothing better then homemade strawberry pie! If so, maybe next year we can try something else.

I'm blessed...

I always love Mother's Day. I love the chance to be spoiled, and an excuse to not have to do anything. I love milking the day for all it's worth, sleeping in, breakfast in bed, followed by a nap a couple hours later. Today was different somehow though. We had 9:00 church so their was no sleeping in, their was no time for a big breakfast. However they did make me a fabulous bowl of Frosted Flakes (my favorite) and some juice. We went to church and I got to listen to the Primary kids sing songs about our different roles as mom's and the different things as mothers we are responsible for teaching our children. Although I loved today and I got spoiled, and I had to do little around the house, I had a different outlook on Mother's Day today. I didn't spend so much time thinking about me and what everybody is doing for me. I spent a lot of time today thinking about how grateful I am to be a mom. I am so blessed with amazing children that keep me laughing, smiling, amused, confused, in awe, and sometimes so terribly overwhelmed. But I wouldn't trade one day that I have got to spend with them for anything. Here are somethings I love about being a mother:

*I love seeing my kids laugh, smile, giggle, play, wrestle.
* I love when they make me realize that I don't need to sweat the small stuff. It's much more important to sit down and play with them, the chores can wait.
*I love how life is always so fun and happy to them. Kaylee is big on watching people's face's. She will always ask me "Mom, why aren't you smiling?" Even if nothing is wrong I need to keep a smile on my face, or Kaylee is concerned.
*I love when the kids take time to make something for me. Anytime they give me a gift they are so proud of their work and so happy to show me.
*I love when I see their testimony growing. It means that all the effort put into FHE, family scripture study, family prayer, and taking them to church each week is paying off. This is my biggest concern as a parent is that I won't do enough to help build their testimony and build their knowledge in the gospel. I know if I can do this that no matter what decisions they make in life they will always have this knowledge to go back on.
* I love anytime we attempt any of the above (FHE, scripture time, prayer time, or anytime anybody sits down) Kade breaks out into a game of Duck, duck, goose. Kade is starting to learn to talk and he is growing up and I love seeing this milestone in his life. I love seeing all my kids milestones, one of the best parts of being a mom.
*Bedtime stories, and bedtime bonding.
*One on one bonding with each kid. I love getting to know each one of my kids better. Each one of them is so amazing. I love taking the time to get to know them better.

I am so blessed to be their mother....

Thanks for all you do...

We had our Primary Activity yesterday. I was really happy with the way things turned out. I think everybody had a good time. Obviously with so many primary kids things are going to be chaotic, but other then that, it was fun. We had the kids each bring somebody that they could serve. My kids brought Grandma Sonia with them. They had a lot of fun. After it was over, Sonia said she even got massaged in all the wrong places, thanks to Kaylee.



We had set up six different stations.

*The first station was an ice cream station. They got to make ice cream sundaes for themselves and their special person.

*The second station they got to decorate a magnetic wooden frame and then get their picture taken. (When I went to start taking pictures I realized I had forgotten my battery at home charging...trust me:) Luckily somebody else had a camera.)

*The third station was a chore relay race. They got to experience some of the everyday chores that us mom's and dad's do. Like fold clothes, change diapers, and drive from place to place.

*The forth station they got to give their special someone a hand and foot massage with different lotions. We also had different magazines for them to read while they were at this station.

*The fifth station they got to make a coupon book for their special person.

*And the sixth station they got to give their special person a back massage. We had back massagers and relaxing music. I'm not sure you could even hear the music with the noise coming from the gym. But hey, the hopefully they got the point.

I ended up getting so much help. Thanks to everybody that pitched in and helped!!!! I know it wasn't easy. I had someone helping me scoop ice cream in the kitchen who also had her two little boys that didn't want to be there. I had a friend help with the kids before the party so I could go finish setting up. I had someone else managing little ones who were chucking back massagers and just didn't "get" the concept of a relaxing back massage. I had someone helping me with center pieces. And people bringing things, and tons of people cleaning up. Tons of people stepped in and helped and that made things sooo much easier. I've been doing activities, in some way or another since I've moved into this ward, and I love seeing how everybody comes together to help out.

PS. After about 13 years you would think I would have figured out my "cycle" by now. Well that complaining I was doing a couple days ago about being in a funk, it's called PMS. It could have made my week a whole lot easier if I knew what was causing me to be so unlike myself. So now that you all know a little bit more about my personal life, you can stop worrying about me. I've even had phone calls asking if I was pregnant...and no, it's not possible in this household. I'm just PMSing:)

AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!

That felt much better to get that off my chest. I have been in such a funk for for the past week or so. I am just not at the top of my game. I cry at the drop of a hat. We have been able to do a few fun things while Brayden has been off track, I will post those later. I have just been so busy trying to get things ready for our upcoming Primary Activity, I just haven't had time for anything. Mother's Day couldn't come at a better time because as of Saturday morning I'm officially going on a mental vacation until Sunday night (I know a few other people that might want to join me) I have been so neglecting to my kids, my house, my husband, I'm going on about 3 days of trying to get laundry done. How do working mom's do it? When I have any responsibly out of the "norm" I'm a mess. But I thought I would give a quick update on how things were going.

Brayden: I spoke WAY too soon about the off track situation. We've had fun, but I think he's ready to go back. Another 11 days...but who's counting. My sweet dad and Laura took him down to Filmore to visit my Grandma and Grandpa last night. He had a blast and he hasn't stopped talking about it since he got home. It was a nice break.

Kaylee: She has been struggling with some of the house rules lately. Namely, keeping her room clean, answering the phone, and answering the door to complete strangers. We are going to install a lock on the top of the door that none of the kids can reach. The kids answer the door to stupid sales people, and then I'm a sucker to buy their products (bad experience this week..oops!) She really thinks that she's not capable of cleaning her room by herself, but she FINALLY did it this week and she was so proud of herself. I told her she couldn't do ANYTHING until she finished it, expecting for it to take days, but she finished in about 20 min. I was happy that she saw immediate rewards. She had a friend come over right after and ask her to come play in the sprinklers, the next day she got to go down to Thanksgiving Point with her bestest friend Brooks, and then today she had a BLAST playing with Hallee and Addi. All the while her room has remained clean.

Kade: He has been rotten!!! He had a fever and a little diarrhea last week, that has past but his attitude stayed. The kid doesn't stop crying. I wish their was some medication you could buy that would help with whining. I don't know, maybe I should take him in and have him checked out but he's not showing signs that anything is bugging him. It's sure bugging me though

Mike: I think he's just bugged by all of us. So he just goes golfing:)