Maggie’s Birthday Party

With Maggie’s birthday being December 26th, I’m not going to lie, she usually gets the short end of the stick with parties.  After all the Christmas parties and recitals and everything that comes with Christmas, she doesn’t even want to do anything on her actual birthday except take it easy. She gets so overwhelmed by Christmas…it is insane! So this year I told her she could have a summer party. She was so excited! We did a “Frozen” theme of course and had a few friends over.  It was outside and SO HOT that day.  They played pin the nose on Olaf, Pop the Balloons of Candy and a Water Balloon toss game.  It was a lot of fun and Maggie loved her special “half birthday.”  I think it is a tradition I will keep, while she is still small enough to want summer parties!

Our Night Away

So about a month ago I decided David and I needed a night away from the kids. I think the last time we were away from the kids was about 4 years ago before Parker was born.  I wanted to surprise David for a couple reasons. One, it is awesome because he HATES surprises!! Two, because I LOVE to surprise people.  So, it worked out well for both of us! I set up a baby-sitter for the time, when Trish was at work and made sure Trish could do a sleepover with the kids. Then I found a hotel in Midway. We had never been there and I had heard so many good things about it. I also made sure that David was not on call for that weekend.  He was suspicious when I asked him his next weekend he would be on call, so I told him that I wanted my birthday present from last year, which was me having a day off from the kids and doing whatever I want!

David knew something was up, because I kept making sure he wasn’t on call that weekend and I told him he couldn’t look at the bank account or Amazon.  He was convinced we were going camping with the kids for the big surprise. I played along with it and let him believe he ruined the surprise and that we were in fact going camping for his big surprise. He was very proud of himself for solving the mystery! It was hilarious!!!

So Friday came and I went along with me taking my day off and went to get my hair cut and did a little shopping for the weekend.  We left at about 3:00 and I informed him we were going swimming somewhere. He thought I was crazy and didn’t believe me.  About 30 minutes into driving to Midway he couldn’t take it anymore and forced me to tell him what was going on. So I told him we had a hotel at the Zermatt in Midway and dinner reservations at a delicious steakhouse as well as a reservation to go swimming at the Crater  in Midway. It is this natural crater with a natural hot spring that you can go swimming in. The temperature naturally stays at about 93-96 degrees. It was amazing!! So relaxing and nice.  I didn’t get any picture of us in the water because I don’t have a waterproof camera! But here is a picture of what it looks like. I’d recommend you go there. Very neat and very relaxing.  

So after we went swimming here we went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. It’s called Z’s Steak and Chop Haus. It was so delicious. We got the filet mignons and they just melted in our mouths.  The waitress started out so strong really nice and kept checking on us until we ordered and then it all went downhill.  She never checked on us, took away all of our silverware after we finished our little bread plate and then never brought us our check until we hunted her down. I guess she figured she wouldn’t waste her time on us since we weren’t drinking like all the tables surrounding us.  Also, the place was not busy at all, so she didn’t have that excuse, but what can you do. Luckily the food was delicious.

After dinner we went and relaxed and walked around the hotel. It had a Switzerland theme to it and was really gorgeous.  The view from our room was amazing of the mountains. We went and saw Meet the Mormons at this tiny little theater in Midway for the 9:00 showing.  It was really a great show to watch and just told about the lives of 6 different Mormons around the world.  It was very moving and I am so glad we went and saw it.

The next morning we slept in and then headed home around 10:00 a.m.  It was so nice to get away even for just one night and less than 24 hours. The kids all did amazing with my sister, Trish. The hardest thing she said was keeping her new cat, Pepper, and Biscuit from playing all night long!

I think David was truly surprised and it was a great time spending time alone with him.  10 years and we still like being together. That’s gotta mean something!

10 Years

 

On July 22nd David and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary!! We had a great day. As said in a previous post it was David’s little brother, Austin’s, last day before he left for his mission. So we went and did sealings at the temple with some of our family names.  Then we went and ate at Longhorn and then we went back to our house and watched a little video I made for Austin’s farewell and mine and David’s engagement video. Man was David young…I haven’t aged a day.  

4 kids, 1 dog, 3 apartments, 2 houses and about 5 cars later and here we are.  It has gone by so fast and what an amazing 10 years it has been.  I had no idea before I met David that I would end up in Utah and then when I met David I really thought that we would NEVER be in Utah. I thought we are safe. We have been here 7 years this November, majority of our marriage.  We are very blessed to be out here still.  After all this time it is great that we still love to be around each other and we can always make each other laugh, even when the other doesn’t want to. We had our longest time apart this summer, while I was in Arkansas. We were apart for 2 and 1/2 weeks!!! It was good. That way we figured out we really do miss each other when we are apart.  It reminded me of when we were dating and all googly eyed and mushy.  We spent hours on the phone at night and neither of us would hang up. It was great, but it was even better when we saw each other after such a long time. 

I couldn’t ask for a better husband.  He is a genius…seriously. I have yet to find something that he doesn’t know how to fix and trust me I have tried and broken a lot of things in the last decade. Just so he can make himself feel better, not because I am clumsy at all. I feel we both put up with an even amount of annoying stuff from each other, but the good out ways the bad everyday! He still holds my hand, kisses me hello and good-bye and gives me hugs daily. We still say I love you I don’t know how many times in a day and still love dating each other. 

Happy 10 years, Baby!!

First Day of 3rd grade

3rd grade already?? David was so excited to start school.  Can I just say how easy to please this child is? I kept telling him we could go shopping for some new clothes, shoes and all that other fun stuff that comes with a new school year, but he just kept saying , “No mom, I have enough stuff.” Such a good easy going kid! He also packs his own lunch each morning too. It is awesome.  He was pretty excited about taking pictures too, which is funny. He kept saying I needed to get a picture of each side of him. Too funny.

His teacher, Miss Sten, is new at the school this year and seems really sweet and I think and hope her and David will get along well.   

Also, David has started swimming lessons. He has been wanting too for a few months, but because of some health issues was unable to. He is so excited and has no fear of the water. He loves learning too!

First Day of 1st Grade

Maggie started the day after David started school. She had an evaluation the first day with her teacher Miss Lansford and was so excited to start first grade and eat lunch at school and go a full day like David!! Maggie really is a sweetheart and loves to help.  She was so excited to get some new outfits and had the hardest time picking out her backpack.  She puts a lot of thought into everything.  She is pretty excited because her and David’s classrooms and just one hall away from each other and she even got to play with David and his friends at recess the first day.  So cute.  She talked our ears off  about every detail of her first day and is loving being so big! She loves to pack her own lunch too and although she is not a fan of homework at all, she still does it and by the end almost enjoys it too.  I am so glad she loves school so much!!

Maggie also started taking gymnastics this past month.  She decided to take a break from dance and try out something new. I am all for my kids not getting stuck in one thing, unless they want to!  She has really made some progress in such a short time!

Parker’s First Day of Preschool

Parker got to start preschool this year.  He has been a little behind with his speech and although he keeps getting better each day, it is still very hard to understand most things he says.  He got tested for speech back in May and they approved him to be put into the speech program in preschool here.  It is free. He goes Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:40-1:40 and the bus even comes to pick him up and drop him off.  His teachers name is Miss Bettina.  She seems really sweet.  We went for an open house the week before preschool started and met her and saw the classroom.  Parker was so excited to go and then when we got there, he just got so shy and quiet. It was a little overwhelming I think.  Then the next week the day after Labor Day he started.  He was so excited to get his picture taken in front of the tree.  He ran out and stood there waiting for me to take his picture.  Then we went out and waited for his school bus.  While we were waiting, he looked up at me and said, “Mom, you hug me? And I hug you?” It was adorable!! He gave me the biggest hug and then the bus pulled up and the assistant got off and helped Parker on the bus and buckled him in.  He was so excited and didn’t seem scared at all. I’m pretty sure that I had a harder time than he did.  I started crying watching the bus drive away with my little baby boy.  He is such a great kid. So thoughtful and very gentle with his little sister Elizabeth these days.  He is growing up too fast and becoming a great little boy.

On a side note, Parker also got his tubes taken out of his ears this week. They had been in for about a year and a half and before I knew what was happening the doctor was taking them out.  I pray that he won’t have any issues without the tubes this winter.  He did AMAZING for the doctor while he was taking the tubes out. It looked painful, but Parker just laid there as still as could  be and didn’t even flinch.  The doctor was amazed how well he did and said that most grown-ups usually shed a tear or two from the pain during this! He is a tough kid!!

 

First Day as an Only Child

After 18 months of sharing me with 3 other siblings 24 hours a day this little girl finally has some alone time with her Mommy.  I didn’t know how Lizzy would react to not having any other kids around, but she has loved it!! She just sits with me and plays and is content. She doesn’t seem to mind the quiet and alone time.  She is such a sweet little girl! She has gotten quite a bit of teeth these past few months and so we have had some rocky days, but even on her worst day she is still pretty easy to please. Usually all it takes is a good snuggle and maybe some Mario on the Wii to make her day! She absolutely LOVES Mario Brothers and will bring me the Wii controller and say, “It’s a go” or “help me” that’s what toad says on the game…it is adorable.  She likes to hold a controller and pretend to play too.  It is nice to have something for her to watch  and let me have a break.  The girl does not like t.v. one bit.  Which is good, BUT not on the days when I just need some downtime by myself.  Oh well!! She is speaking so much and says something new everyday. She loves music and loves to sing.  Her favorites are “Let it Go,” “Round and Round the Garden” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”  I love hearing her sing “Let it Go” it is so dang cute.  She is also my pickiest eater yet.  Although, she does love grown up food way more than the usual kid foods that the other kids enjoy so much.  She loves steak and anything with spice. She insists on trying anything that I am eating and even when I am struggling with how spicy it may be, it doesn’t even phase her.  It is amazing.   She is a delightful little girl and we love watching her grow so much each day, even with the little attitude of being the youngest child in the family. She is definitely spoiled in so many ways, but as I tell all the kids, she will get her payback someday with someone younger than her!  

 

This is what I wake up to at the foot of my bed most mornings!! Biscuit and Parker snuggling together.

Summer 2014

The summer wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the zoo!!

The kids got to walk in the Pioneer Day Parade downtown with out stake. It was a long morning of waiting around in the hot sun and then  walking about a half a mile. Lizzy and I watched in the crowd to take pictures.  

 

Snow cones to help those hot summer days and friends over for play dates.

Mom and Dad came for a weekend visit and we had an amazing time with them! They took the kids to the park on Saturday and there was some kind of free carnival there with all kinds of games and prizes. So the kids all came home with stuffed animals and other fun treasures.  It was a fast trip, but we loved having them here!

 

Trish and I went to see Tim McGraw. It had been so long since I had been to a concert. Tim was amazing!!! Minus the drunk couple in front of us making out the whole time, it was great. Oh, and we couldn’t find out car afterwards, but it was worth it!!

 

Tons of sprinkler time on the trampoline to help those hot summer days! And this is what I wake up to most mornings…Parker and Biscuit snuggling at the foot of my bed and Parker falling asleep in a lot of odd places.

Parker and Lizzy love playing together. David accidently put on one of Parker’s shirts thinking it was his and Maggie and Lizzy and now sharing a room. Leaving David and Parker with a lot of room for all their  toys in their new boys room!

Lots of outside time with all the fun toys. David’s company had a fun night where they rented out the Living Planet Aquarium, so we got to have dinner there and then got to see all the neat stuff they have there!

Too many fireworks and poppers to count. David tried out mowing the lawn and figured out it is hard work!!

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Lizzy enjoying  the fireworks and Maggie just cheesing for the camera.

 

It was an incredibly fun and busy summer. 3 weeks in Arkansas and then both of our parents coming out here really took up the majority of the summer and it was amazing!! I loved sleeping in and not having to do anything all day if we didn’t want to.  I loved the kids would go play for hours a day in the sprinkler.  Thank goodness also for friends in the neighborhood for us to have play time with!! That might have been the biggest life saver for me.  We also did some swimming this summer a few times with some friends and family.  I tried to do fun things with the kids each week, but also let the have lots of down time. I know I needed it before this school year with 2 of them with homework and tests! I really enjoyed the summer up until about a week ago and I got really sick.  The kids also started fighting even more with each other than usual. I think we are all ready for a new schedule and routine.  But I know that in a few months I will probably be counting down until next summer vacation!!