addison's second dance

Addison's first dance recital!

Addison had her first dance recital last night. It was the cutest thing E V E R! Addison and her bestie Adilyn kept looking at one another and giggling. I asked her if she could see her teacher in front of the stage and she replied..."I could see her hair!" Watch the video to see what she is talking about! Silly girl! On the way home in the car she announced "my recital is over". It was so fun to watch...and only about a half an hour...way to go teacher Trista!The entire class!



The pretty ballerina!


Addison and her bestie Adilyn. Yes Adilyn is younger then Addison by a month. She is tall and Addie is short. Those two sure can giggle and have fun together.



See how the two of them are looking at one another....ready to start giggling again! They both did a great job!

The moment you've been waiting for!

The carpet is in....it is so lovely I just want to look at it all day. I have also threatened the kids so they won't eat/drink on it! I need to take more pictures now that the furniture is back in.

So cute it hurts!

Interesting fact #233: It Works for Easton!

According to Easton: If your teacher tells you that you have to go to the bathroom and you don't have to....push on your belly button. It works every time! ummm...I haven't tried it, but this 7 year old thinks it works.1

Bounce House Water Slide

While cousin Jake was here we put up the bounce house water slide....it is starting to lose some of it's ummmff...but it is still the best thing I have purchased at a yard sale! Jake is the fairest kid I know...so he wore one of Neil's hats and his sun protecting suit on the slide. What a cute kid!

Splash pad....this summer...someday I will be caught up!

This summer Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit and brought cousin Jake. We met them in Vegas and stayed in a hotel for a night (basically Addison's favorite thing on earth is a hotel!) Then we headed back to SG for a little sun (ok a lot of sun) The kids had such a great time in Vegas and loved the ride home even more!

While Jake was here we went to the local splash pad...at 6 or 7 at night. We had to wait until it was bearable for the adults to sit and watch....it was still hot! Enjoy the fun through these pics....











The view across the street from the splash pad. I love the colors in SG...we don't have the lush colors of Hawaii...but we have great contrasts with the red dirt!

Tutu Fun!

Whenever kids come over to play with Addison they always want to play with her pettiskirts. Our neighbor Andrew thinks it is a great idea too!

Once upon a time...

I found a story Easton wrote for class. It started out as a cute story about his "grampa named Devon" (his cousins name is Devin). Then it turned into a story that only Easton could write! I wish I could scan it, but that techno gene isn't in me and Neil is at work. So I will just type it..the way he spelled it and put the real word in parenthesis! If the word is capitalized it is because he put the caps!

Once upon a time thir wa(there was) a grampa named Devon. he had Brown eyes Blond hair had Braces, and had a circle face. he was a grandparent. One Day he was going to his grandchildren a car hit him he had to go to the hospital he had Died the Children were sad
the End

Of course....only Easton! Man he is cute!

Run, run reindeer!

Brooke decided to run a 5k for personal progress. Her awesome PP leader Lindsay was her training partner. When the other kids heard about the race they decided they wanted to run the 1 mile fun run. It was a cold morning but luckily there wasn't any wind! They all did great! What a proud mama I was!
Santa and the 1 milers at the starting line!

Camden and Easton at the half way mark!

Camden Crossing the Finish Line!

Catching his breath after his one mile run!

Easton Crossing the finish line!
Neil ran the 1 mile with Addison in hopes he wouldn't be needed! Addie made it to the first corner and her legs were so tired she couldn't go on!
Addison and her friend crossing the finish line!
Addison and her cute friend. Addison's friend Taylor ran with Addie and Neil. Taylor was doing great until santa came up behind her and said "ho, ho, ho" It scared Taylor and she tripped. Neil ran most of the race with Addie on his shoulders and holding onto Taylors hand. What a trooper!
Brooke and Lindz rounding the first corner of the race!
Brooke and her awesome running partner Lindsay! So anxious to begin the race!
Almost to the finish line!
Crossing the finish line!
Very excited to be finished! I am so proud of Brooke and all the hard work she put into training for her race. Can't wait to see her run the next one!

YW ribbon!

Brooke decided to learn how to quilt for personal progress. She spent the summer sewing here and there when she would get bored. She made it for her clogging teachers new baby! Brooke is turning out to be a great seamstress!

Before and during

Here is the before and the reason why I am losing it! About a month ago we started finishing the basement. The drywall is now up and painted. Baseboards are on and painted...touchs ups are happening as I type (Neil is a great handyman to have around!) Carpet comes on MONDAY! Once the room is put back together I will post the after pics!

behind...so very behind

I think my theme in life is being behind! I just can't seem to get a step ahead on anything! This year I am teaching preschool 4 mornings a week. I love sending time with Addison. I can't believe this is her last year before she heads off to school! She is doing so well at preschool. I love teaching and teach with a great friend of mine. She is so creative and we have a great time together. We plan on teaching again next year. This past month has been crazy. In the last month we have gone from a partially finished basement to getting carpet installed next week. Neil has been busy painting walls, staining the floor in part of the basement, and painting baseboards. I can't wait for it to be finished so I can put my house back together. I have half of the toys upstairs making a mess and I can't get to any of my Christmas decorations until the carpet is in. My storage room is crammed full of toys and furniture. I am still working with the cub scouts and love it. Easton officially comes into the wolves in May. He loves hanging out with the older boys. Brooke is busy with clogging and training for her first 5k which is tomorrow morning. I am so proud of the effort she has put into this training! Camden finished up football and is anxious for basketball to start! Every other year the boys get to play on the same team...this is an off year so they are on different teams. This meant we had football 4 days a week!Luckily basketball will be only two days a week! Addison is in ballet. We switched teachers this year and Addison misses her old teacher (I think only because the last teacher gave out suckers at the end of class and this teacher gives out stickers!) I am on the pto board....and stink at it. I wish I had more to give to it, but I am just doing what I can right now. I substitute almost every week at church and have given myself a Christmas present...I decided to not sub for the rest of the year. Ha! That lasted one week. When a friend calls up and needs help I can't seem to say no! I do enjoy working with the kids and helping out, I just feel like I am only giving a half effort to everything. We have had such a busy fall with so many fun experiences...someday I will post pictures of all the activites. I feel so blessed. We have an almost finished house (next up the backyard!) We have great friends and neighbors. We have a secure job that offers great insurance. I just need to keep reminding myself these things when I am feeling overwhelmed....and when I have been breating in the fumes from the sealant in the basement. Seriously it stinks right now! Neil and I are thinking we could charge money for people to come breath it in! We would make a killing today! Can't wait to post pictures of it when it is finished.

eyes of steel

After hundreds of staring contests I have come to the conclusion that
Addison has eyes of steel. I swear she must never blink! No one in our family can beat her. She is amazing!

Interesting fact #372

It is much easier to get a pony bead out of a nose then it is to get a barbie golf ball out of a nose. Pencil erasers in ears are even easier then the barbie golf ball.

Stylish

Today when I was doing Addison's hair she said "Ooh, I like it. Stylish" Only it sounded like stywish! I want to eat her up she is do delish!

Little Miss

Addison turned 4. I can't believe my baby is 4. Addison was not my easiest delivery...she was my most boring delievery. I literally got bored with the whole thing. Pitocin doesn't work well on me. So I just have the doctor break my water. The nurse wouldn't let me be on my side. If she would have then the delivery would have been a lot shorter. Because of that it was 6 hours. I got bored. I got an epidural...but dont' like them. I didn't really need it...so I was sad I had gotten it. I pushed twice I think. The nurses were sure she would be a boy because I wanted a girl so badly. The nurses all cheered when they saw it was a girl. Neil cried when HE saw it was a girl...I think it was relief that he wouldn't have to have another baby! He was sure that if it were a boy we would have to try again for a girl. When I called and told the kids it was a girl they cheered and started jumping up and down and screaming! It was so fun.

Addison was such a quiet baby. For like the first 2 weeks she didn't cry. She would start to wake up and we would all get excited that she was awake. We would feed her and she was content. She wouldn't take a binkie...but didn't really need one. She was just content. The kids sure loved kissing on her!

Addison is a perfect example of how we are born with a certain spirit. She is still very content. She of course has her moments...but in general is a happy and easy going girl. She loves anything girly and LOVES lipstick and makeup.

Addison loves her friends. She asks to play with them daily! She loves school and has asked when school starts since the last day of school last year.

Addison has a great imagination and tells me some real whoppers. She tells me stories about when she was a boy named Jeremy and the great adventures she has. She talks about all these friens she has...usually they have names like Shena and Kenna. They have sleepovers and do lots of exciting things!

People just love Addie. No matter where we go she gets comments about how cute she is or how cute her hair is. She has wrapped more then one person around her little finger. I often hear her telling he brothers to stopping kissing on her! We love you Addison...you are such a special girl! Can't wait to see how you grow the next 4 years!

Are you shocked?

Yes I am actually posting....I have sat down to do this all summer...but put it off at the same time! School is in and before preschool starts up I figured I better blog. This summer I went to a family reunion. We started swapping old photographs. I saw one I had never seen before.


My mom and her parents right before her dad left for the war. I love it. I loved how perfectly put together grandma is. Seeing this inspired me to start a blog as a place for the family to share pictures of the family. click here There are some fun pictures on there and hopefully it will grow!

9!

I can't believe that it has been 9 years. Where has the time gone. Camden was my easiest delivery! I had a appointment with my doctor. I was overdue. I had spent the day mowing the lawn (it took an hour) in hopes that I would go into labor. No such luck. My doctor was running late (not a surprise...he always was). My 3 oclock appointment was at 5. At my appointment he told me to go ahead and go to the hospital and he would induce me. I went home, called Neil home from the farm and got to the hospital at about 7:30 or 8. The nurses got an IV in me and my doctor arrived at about 9. He was just about to break my water when the nurse came rushing in to get him. He was needed in the ER. At women at 35 weeks was in full cardiac arrest. He came back an hour later, she hadn't made it and neither had the baby. He didn't tell me that, but I read it in the paper that week. So at 10 he broke my water....I was at a one. 3 hours later, and no epidural, a chubby 8 lb. 7 oz. beautiful boy was born. The nurses kept telling me how beautiful he was and how they saw a ton of babies but he was one of the beautiful ones. He didn't have that newborn scrunched look. I was in love! I had hoped and prayed for 4 years for this baby, and he took my breath away!

More than any of my kids Camden really gets into what interests him. For a while it was superman. Unfortunately there was a wiggles kick...where he would only watch the one wiggles video and wanted to watch it everyday all day! The yellow power ranger rulled at our house for about a year. Yellow was the color of the year. He only wanted to eat on a yellow plate and drink from a yellow cup. Star wars was another obsession (that still lingers at this house thanks to youtube. Did you know that grown men spend hours making their own star wars movies. Camden loves the grocery wars one. All the guys are different fruits and veggies. Yoda is Yoga...and yogurt guy!)

Camden is very tender hearted. He is also a deep thinker. He asks me questions all the time that really make me think. Sometimes he is such a old soul.

He is also a great giggler. He loves to tell jokes and is a terrible liar. When he lies he gets this sheepish look on his face and can't make eye contact. If I probe a little more and ask if he is sure that is the truth he usually answers with "oh I forgot".

Camden is a great brother. Brooke was smitten with him when he was born. She was 4 and so excited to be a big sister. When he was a week old I found her next to him on the couch reading him a story.

Camden loves an adventure. He loves to play sports (especially if he wins) and loves to go geocaching. He enjoys talking to adults and takes what they say to heart. The other day we were somewhere and he suddenly says "look, that looks like an ark of the covenant" A few weeks ago in church they talked about that and he soaked it in. His all time favorite teacher is Suzanne Smith. He LOVES her. He loves talking to her and talks all the time about when she was his teacher in primary!

We love having Camden in our family. He is such a sweet boy. He has a great testimony and is a great example to us! Hope you had a great birthday Camden!