6 already?

This is one of my favorite photos of Easton...he was just 13 months. Each Sunday we would go to the farm with Neil while he would check his potatoes. The kids loved wearing their irrigation boots and helping dad. Last week Easton turned 6. Where has the time gone?



Camden really wanted to be the one to take Easton's picture. Not bad for a 7 year old! With camera delay I am surprised he got such a great picture.


Easton showing off his presents.

I told Easton he didn't need a picture with both of these presents because the look the same....he told me he would hold them a different way, so I needed to take both pictures....can't you see the difference?


Easton got a few games for the Wii....I think his favorite is lego indiana jones. He also got clothes, money and a transformer. His aunt Cindy was talking to me about what to get him and said $ wouldn't be that fun so I asked Easton if he wanted $ for his birthday he said "Yeah, like $5!" To him $5 was a huge amount. So aunt Cindy did get him $5! We also found two $5 cash cards inside two different fruit roll boxes. Easton wanted those cash cards so much. I wrapped them up for his birthday and he was thrilled! With his birthday money his got a new wii 4x4 game and a truck from the movie Cars! He had a great birthday and was spoiled. We love our Easton boy. He is so smart and a hard worker at school. He is reading well above his age level. Easton LOVEs Addie. Often I hear her scream and say "Easton, no kissa me" (yes she adds the "a" to kiss). Easton is a great at sports. He just finished soccer and has started t-ball. He prefers to be pitched to though! Easton is a mama's boy and always wants to sit next to mom....especially at the dinner table and at church. He gives great hugs and kisses. Easton is also a little tough to wake up in the morning. Most mornings I avoid talking to him for the first 1/2 hour. After that he is a gem! We love you Easton and are glad you are in our family!

Glad it's over!

Last week was crazy. We had....two ice cream float parties I was in charge of, kindgergarten graduation, 4 baseball games, two baseball picture days, 5th grade graduation assembly, movie night (Brooke's class spent two months making a video about the civil war....Monday they showed the movie at school...the movie was fantastic....I thought it would be a cheesy little movie, but it was so professional) I also did a presentation at the junior high. Easton turned 6 and through all that Neil was out of town. Luckily my parents came and took care of me! I am glad that week is done, now we are on to summer! I am spring cleaning (because it is so hot here you have to stay inside and so spring cleaning happens in the summer instead of the spring) I spent about 3 hours on my room and now am moving onto each room and closet in the house....up next is Easton's room with the other kids to follow and then the toys. Lets hope I survive the toy room! If I am not back in a week send in a search party!

She graduates!

Brooke graduated from 5th grade...she now moves on to a different school where there is 6th and 7th grade. I can't believe it.


Brooke (below) and her friend Brianna (above) both earned a trophy for the give me liberty program. They memorized 13 different things which included: the presidents in order, all the states and capitals, the preamble to the constitution and the Gettysburg address. I was very proud and impressed....she worked on it a lot!


Brooke and Bri receiving their diplomas. The school didn't tell us they would be graduating, luckily a friend mentioned that they would get their diplomas at the school assembly on Friday, so I was one of very few parents there to see them graduate. Good job Brooke! Oh, and she had an excellent report card!

He graduates!

Easton graduated from Kindergarten last week. They had a cute little program and then they received their diplomas. This is Easton and his teacher Mrs. Cornwall. She is a strict but loving teacher. The kids sure learn a lot in her classroom. I was thrilled Easton had her.

Easton with his friends Mason, Bear (Baringer) and Hayden.



Easton and his best friend Justice. I switch tending with Justice's mom so they boys play together Mon-Thurs. They have a great time. You should also hear Addie say his name...more like Sustis!



During the program. This is so Easton....waiting for the teachers instructions while the other kids misbehave. The teacher often put Easton as her monitor. He is very good at making sure the other kids do what they are suppose to.



And a smile for mom!

Addies Easter outfit!

I did say I would post pictures of Addie's easter outfit. I never thought it would take me this long to get them up! I did the smocking on it last summer...the construction I kept putting off. I finally finished it and love the "knots landing" look. It looks like she just stepped out of the 80's!

Addie's pictures!

I have the most talented friends. My friend Amber took pictures of Addie at the Relief Society house in Santa Clara. Although there were few smiles to be had (until we got in the car and the giggle started) Amber got a ton of great shots...here are a few of my favorites!

The craziness comes to an end!

The end is here....the last two or three weeks have been full of running around kids and watching with pride as they accomplish different things. Maybe tomorrow I will be recovered enough to update on all that has happened. Right now I am just plain exhausted. I even took a nap today which hasn't happened for me in a very long time! So stay tuned...more to come!

Caution....lots of whining about to be heard!

My a/c has a broken part. A box arrived that said "condenser" on it. I spent a week without a/c. Yesterday it was 93*. Yesterday Neil installed the part. Yesterday we realized the part was faulty. Today a new part is on its way. Today it will be 94*. In an effort to beat the heat we went with friends to the splash park on Tuesday. I got 6 kids under age 6 in sunscreen (I was watching a few friends and and some neighbor kids snuck in too) I forgot to sunscreen myself. My poor back is a lobster, no a crab, since I am so crabby about it. I was suppose to run with my kids this morning...I knew it would never happen. My red sports bra was never going to get along with my red back, cause you know, it's crabby. On a much happier note...I think Addie is on her way to being potty trained....she has told me at the store she needs to potty and last night she went into the bathroom and went by herself. We found her on her way out...she even remembered to wash her hands!

Fun, Fun on the Farm!

We went with Easton's class to the farm across the street from his school. The kids loved it!


The farmer there cracks me up...each time we have gone he tells these little 5 and 6 year olds about interesting things like: global economy or the dead calf that is in the pasture.

Being there makes me miss Neil farming, then the farmer started telling the kids all about the schedule he keeps and I stopped missing it.

The kids loved these little piglets. The farmer picked one up for the kids to pet and boy did the piglet and the momma squeal about that.

Poor Easton had a terrible time on the farm. His eyes got redder and itchier the longer we were there. When we left I checked him out of school and got him home to take some benedryl. I called that day for an appointment with the allergist and the next week we learned that not only is he allergic to hay, but like every grass or tree imaginable, except pine trees! No wonder he was having a hard time!

Addie loves to go to Easton's class. She especially liked going to the farm and has asked about everyday since if she can go to the farm. I tell her it's closed!

I had to add this picture because you can sort of see the wonderful haircut Addie gave herself...her bangs are not that short, normally! Don't you love her combover!

Oh what to do when you're two!

You live in a world that isn't fair. You get put in bed, when you are clearly exhausted. You don't want to be there. You know if you come out of that room you will be sent right back. Yet you want out so badly. So what do you do? You quietly sneak out to the hallway. Then when mom is on her way to bed she finds you like this....

Everybody clean up!

During our Saturday morning cleanup I passed by Addie's room and found she had "cleaned up" her polly pockets! Thanks for the help Addie!

Pretend it's Wednesday!

I have a great post that I would love to title "Work's for me Wednesday" but today is Tuesday. So play along, ok? Yesterday I got Addison a new Barbie movie....Fairytopia. She loves Barbie movies and I am hoping that they will be a great potty training incentive! The worst part of getting a movie? All the tape they put around the edges so you can't steal the $5 movie! As I was struggling to get off the tape, you know how stinking hard it is, I look down and on the desk is my seam ripper. Aha....I pick it up and in an instant the tape is off and the movie is ready to be watched. Gotta love a simple seam ripper! Do you have a "work's for me Wednesday" you want to share today?

It happened in the car!

Do you have days that are so crazy, and you are running so late, and on the way out the door you notice that you or your child have something on their shirt...like a little jelly from their pb/j or chocolate. Now you have a dilemma....do you take the time to change her shirt, shoes and bows so that she matches, or do you go out the door with the little stain. You know if you change you will be late. Have you ever thought to yourself...."if anyone notices I'll say it happened in the car on the way here" then run out the door content knowing that yes there is a stain, but you have a totally believable excuse!

Guilty!

Well I have spent the last two days doing jury duty. I really thought I would get out of it. I thought the defence lawyer for a DUI would see a mom with young children who have never had a drink and would think "she is not what we want" the prosecutor said he thought I would have been his next choice to get rid of. We started at 8:30 in the morning yesterday and finished today at around eleven thirty. It took us about an hour and a half to deliberate. The defendant refused the breath test at purgatory (the jail here). He said he wouldn't do one without his lawyer present. He said his dog jumped on his arm while he was driving, that made him swerve and almost run off the road. The cop that was at the stop sign didn't see him swerve, he didn't even turn to make the curve in the road, that is why he went off the road. They gave him 3 different DUI tests and he failed all 3. We found him guilty. It was hard for me to decide someone had chosen to break the law. I felt good about my verdict, I thought he was guilty. I just felt bad being the one to say yes he was guilty. I felt bad that he had made the choices he did. If I could change anything I would change his decision to drive his car that night. After the trial the prosecutor talked to us for a minute and told us that there were things he couldn't tell us in court. Like this is his 3rd DUI arrest (and perhaps conviction) in 10 years. On the scene the man took a breathalyzer test, and failed. It isn't admissible in court like the one at the jail would have been. When he failed it on the side of the road, it was at a .167! The drinking limit is .08! I felt even better about the conviction after I heard that. It could have been me and my kids that he hit when he was driving, rather then almost killing himself when he drove off the road. I am now done with jury duty for at least 2 years. It was a good experience. I felt like I learned a lot. I made a difference and I would totally do it again. I just wish I could have picked a different date for it. I missed out on #1-going to Eastons classroom to help out #2 family game night at the school #3 piano lessons for two kids #4 spending time with my friend visiting from out of town #5 dentist appointment for all 4 kids. #6 running with my friends on Monday #7 working out with my friends on Tuesday #8 running with my kids on Tuesday. I also had to bug my friends and get 4 of them to tend my kids at different times. I wish I could have said some days were better then others, but such is life. That is the way the jury system works. And today it worked well.

blah blah blah

So I have nothing to blog about. I should be posting cute pictues of my kids and Easter. I should be posting pictures of soccer. I am not. I don't have the energy to do it right now. We have been super busy with our church callings, 3 soccer teams, piano and friends visiting. We enjoy all of them, just keeping us busy and my mind so busy I can't think of a fun post. Maybe tomorrow!

Easter outfit

I started Addie's Easter outfit last summer. It started out as a summer outfit, but then I put it away and finally got back to it this week. I need to sew on one sleeve, put in some elastic and hem the top. I can't wait to get it on her and show you the fantastic fabric and pattern!

Happy Feet!

This morning when I got Brooke up to run we had four additional feet join us, Camden and Easton. I never thought I would see the day when I went running with my kids. All three big kids! They did really well. Camden wanted to run faster, but Eastons little legs just couldn't keep up. There was no whining and they all want to go agin on Thursday. I just hope my knee is doing ok for me to take them, it has been bothering me all day:(

Pwincess

Addie is in love with anything "Pwincess" In hopes to encourage her to use the potty I bought her this crown at the dollar store. She used the potty in order to get the crown, and then promptly stopped using the potty. She got what she wanted so she was done! I love this Pwincess!

Pathetic

We went to Washington state for spring break (two weeks ago) and this is the only picture I took the entire time. I know, pathetic! This is my nephew Carston. His new baby brother was born the week before. You would think I would have taken the new baby's picture! We got to see lots of friends and family. We had a great time, but spent a lot of time in the car. Neil told Brooke that for her essay on what she did for spring break she should write "we drove, stopped, drove, stopped and drove some more" That is a very accurate account of our trip, but we had fun!

Lucky Girl!

After 14 months, and before finishing the 5th grade, Brooke got her braces off! How lucky can a girl get. Her teeth look great. This is her fantastic ortho. Dr. Beckstrom (he went to dental school with my friend from high school, isn't that crazy)

Brooke was so good about following the ortho's instructions. She stayed away from a lot of her favorite things, popcorn and caramel! She didn't break one bracket so we celebrated with a popcorn party!

We rented bedtime stories and made a bunch of yummy popcorn's and had a great time with her bff Brianna.

We had lime, orange and strawberry popcorn. We also had peanut butter and traditional butter popcorn. Yummy! Now lets just hope she doesn't lose her retainer ($150 to replace that puppy)