The Hofheins Family

Let's Brush!

2012-01-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

This is Grayson's most favorite thing to do...can't say the same for the rest of my kids, but hopefully he will keep up with this little habit!

Move Preshow

2012-01-28T20:19:00.000-08:00

Every year the VIBE (Brecklyn's dance studio) does a really cool show called Move. They usually bring in professional dancers and it's a fabulous show. This year they featured Tad and Caitlynn from SYTYCD. Brecklyn was excited to meet Tad at the studio during one of his rehearsals. She wanted so badly to meet him, so of course I had to be the one to approach him. It was a little awkward, but he was super nice and gave her a huge hug. And every year, they have all of the companies perform in the preshow.

Here are some pics. before the show...

She's getting so BIG!

Umm...she is so stinking beautiful!

Brecklyn and her carpool buddy, Olivia

Here she is when she met Tad at the studio

Near and Dear

2012-01-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

This is a video of my dance group (Diamond Dance Company). I've been so blessed to be part of this group for the past 7 years. Note: this was filmed when I had long hair, tear...

Grayson at 18 Months!

2012-01-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

This little "Nugget of Joy", as I so lovingly refer to him as has just turned 18 months.

Here is a little run-down of Grayson at 18 months...

Growth Stats:

Weight: 25 lbs. (39th almost 40th percentile)

Height: 31.5 in. (22nd percentile, bless his heart)

Head Circ: 19 3/4 in. (96th percentile)

Loves:

DOGS! (still) (still calls them goggy's)

Trucks/Cars (calls them chucks)

Books (calls them gooks)

Brushing hist teeth. Every time anyone is brushing their teeth, he hops on the stool and begs for his toothbrush. He can't say "brush teeth" but if I say "where are your teeth?" he'll point to them.

Unrolling toilet paper and/or paper towels, as seen here...

His daddy! He gets SO excited when Jake comes home. One day we were pulling into the garage and he saw Jake's car parked in it and says "Oh wow! Daddy!" in the cutest voice I've ever heard!

Dr. Pepper...oops!

Balls! Brad and Dest gave us their old "midget" bball hoop and Grayson goes nuts over making baskets!

Anything soft like a pillow...he likes to snuggle them.

Dislikes:

Getting boogers snatched (don't we all)

Getting changed or getting dressed

Those are his main likes and dislikes. He has really become such a different baby and I'm loving this toddler age! He has started feeling comfortable around other people and will go to them. He's had a bunch of different people watch him and a couple of play dates and has done great. Every time I go to pick him up, they just tell me how good he was! He seems to be really tender with other kids, especially babies.

Maybe because he's walking, but I think he's found a new love for independence! He's not nearly as clingy and will kind of just wander around checking things out (and, of course, making messes!) He sleeps well through the night...goes down around 8:30 and wakes up around 8:30/9:00 am and still takes a nice long nap around noon. He eats just about anything, but I can tell he has his dad's dislike for "textury" foods like pumpkin pie and cheese cake (so sad). He still likes to dance and has acquired some new "moves" including turning in a circle. It's pretty hilarious.

He's just an all around "makes-you-happy" kind of kid and I am sooooo lucky to be his mom! I had to laugh the other day when I realized that probably 98% of the pictures on my phone are of him! I just love everything he does and am a little obsessed with this guy.

And a couple of little phrases he's been saying lately:

"Watch dis"

"Wus dis? or "Wus dat"?

"Look at dat!"

...apparenly he's a very observant child...

"Tank Daddy" (thanks daddy)

"I wan some" or just "wan some"

Feeling like a big boy on this tiny chair.

First time using a fork. He loves mashed potatoes, just like me!

A New Year

2012-01-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

To ring in the NEW YEAR we decided to go spend a few days at the good 'ol cabin with Jake's family. It was fun, relaxing and just a really good hang. I think there's nowhere my kids would rather be than just playing with their cousins! Bryan bought some aerial fireworks and they pulled a covert (didn't want the fire marshall coming over, who had been next door all night). Arden LOVED it...ha ha. Jake was like a kid again out there with his dad, Shawn and B. The kids slept through the whole thing, darn...but us 30+ year olds had fun ;)

Here are the kids just playing, making a good 'ol mess :)

Two of my favorite ladieeees :)

This was the view most of the time...men on couch watching sports!

This was the best little moment, when all my boys piled in for some squishy love-ons. UH! Melts my heart!!

We tried to find some decent sledding and snowboarding snow, but this is the best we could come up with, through the weeds!

This was Grayson's first time in the snow, in a snowsuit! He kept falling over and was so confused! It was so cute. He's like a little marshmallow. His snow pants cost me $2 at Old Navy...score! And his mittens were to die for cute. He kept clapping his hands!

This has been the best toy Bryan ever bought!

You gotta love this guy in his purple one-piecer. I used to have one similar. I gotta find that thing!!!

On our way home Jake almost killed us! He was following Shawn and Shawn passed a car and Jake (without even looking) decided to pass him too! And of course a car was coming and we nearly hit it head-on. Nice. So yes, I said a few choice words and was super mad. Jake felt bad and let me drive the rest of the way. It makes me wonder what kind of crap he pulls when he's out on the road every.single.day. Sometimes I wish he had a job that didn't require so much travelling...but alas...

When we got home from our fun little trip, it was back to reality!

We found out that Tyson made the Superleague baseball team he had tried out for 2 months ago. It was weird, because originally they told him he didn't make it, but then Jake called the coach to find out what we could do to help him improve and why he didn't make it. The coach told Jake that he did really well and that he may end up putting him on the team. He said he'd call Jake back, but never did...so we just figured it was a no, until we got an email saying that they are having practice this week. So I called the coach and he said that he thought he talked to us, but that he was definitely on the team. Tyson was really excited. Hopefully it is a positive experience for him. I know he's really excited to play more and travel with his team. I think it will be good for him to have something to keep him busy, besides school school school!

It's been unseasonably warm this January! NO SNOW in sight and highs in the upper 40's and mid 60's in St. George. Jake is down there today and said he wished he brought his clubs! It's been sunny and blue skies too! It makes January just a bit more tolerable, however, now that we got Tyson his skiutah pass, we want it to snow...the irony! If you don't know about the skiutah pass btw...GET IT for your 5th or 6th grader!!!! $25 gets your kid 3 all day admissions to every resort in the state (so they could potentially go skiing/snowboarding 42 times this year for $25)! Go here to find out more info.

Anywhoooooo....

Time to get down to business...resolutions:

Spiritual: Go to the temple monthly and read the Book of Mormon

Physical: Drink less soda and get moving...I need to sign up for Zumba and Pilates somewhere! I think that's the only way I'm gonna get any exercise. When it gets warmer, I'll hook up a trailer and take lil man on bike rides, plus I dance once a week (of course), but I'm so out of shape...I may be down to my goal weight, but you know what they say...fat weighs less than muscle! That and I want a healthy heart so I can annoy Jake a few years longer.

Mental: Hmmmmmmmmmmm

Social: Get out with my ladieeeees more. Sheesh. Are you out there?? Let's try and hang more this year girls. Seriously, I need my girl's nights. They keep me sane!

Emotional: Be more happy and less uptight. I think that my have been my only goal last year, but I really truly want to be happy. Who doesn't?

And on top of that...come off my couponing hiatus! I have been in a slump with that and need to start anew! Also, have more fun with the kids. Sometimes I just feel like I'm their time-keeper and maid. When daddy comes home they get to have FUN. Now I want to be part of that! Another is to clean up this potty mouth of mine! More: Get out of debt completely (besides houses) this year. I think this is the YEAR! We are really close, so I think it's going to happen!!

FINALLY...take another family vacation. That was seriously the best part of 2011...going to Disneyland was the best experience. I loved just being able to have fun with my kids. So, it's high on the list this year! Now we need to figure out where.....? Do you do Disney two years in a row?? Let me know if there are any fun vacations you have taken your kids on! We were contemplating doing a Church History tour, but I think the kids are still a little young for that.

I'm looking forward to an awesome 2012! Happy New Year y'all!!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Well another Christmas has come and gone. I just can't believe how fast it flies by and another year has past. This year was really different than years past for many reasons. One, because I didn't go to the traditional German sale (because I was in Hawaii). Also because Hawaii threw me for a loop and I felt like I was running around trying to get everything done in such a short amount of time. We also decided not to host our annual Christmas party this year (due to craziness!). I was really bummed about it...mostly because I came to the conclusion that we probably won't be hosting it anymore, since everyone is so busy this time of year. And the more kids we all have, the crazier it has gotten over the years just to get a babysitter. Another difference is that we didn't go see the lights in SLC. Lots of broken traditions, but we'll live.

The kids had really small lists this year, but with big ticket items written in them, so they didn't get as much, but they sure got what they wanted!

Highlights:

Tyson- Kindle Fire, a mountain bike and a unicycle

Brecklyn - laptop and American Girl doll accessory kit

Logan - a motor scooter just like the one Brecklyn got for her birthday (but black)...they look so cute parked together in the garage. And the Super Mario Brothers game on Wii (keeps him entertained way too long)

Grayson - new furniture and his Let's Rock Elmo!

My parents, Jake's parents and Jake and I all pitched in to get the wanted gifts. I'm so thankful for our parents...our poor kids wouldn't get much without them! They sure are spoiled rotten kids.

Christmas Eve was spent at Jake's parent's house and also my parent's house. Two dinners and the kids also opened their presents at both houses. It was quite the day/night!

Then on Christmas morning the kids opened their presents from me and Jake. Grayson slept in, but the others woke us up with a "MERRY CHRISTMAS" in unison (so cute). We started a new little tradition this year and had the kids draw names to do secret Santa's for each other. They were all so stoked about it and loved picking out a $5 gift for their "person". Tyson had Grayson and got him a critter hat. Brecklyn had Tyson and got him a sled. Logan had Brecklyn and got her some pink feather earrings. And Grayson had Logan and got him some Nerf guns. It was so cute to watch them give their secret Santa a hug and say thanks. I only have one sibling and always thought that would be fun to do with siblings, so I'm glad they liked doing that too.

After presents, keeping in tradition, (YES!) we decided to go to IHOP for breakfast and then went to church afterward. Jake went to his parent's ward too, to see his dad's choir performance. I stayed home with a very tired baby boy! That evening we went to my grandparent's house for dinner and more presents. I told Omi that I'd like to learn how to make the sauerbraten and have dinner at our house next year and I think she's excited to teach me how.

Yesterday I ran errands and did a little shopping and then we went to Jake's big family Christmas party that they do every year. It's funny, because every year there's some new person that's married one of his cousins or something. And always a new baby or two.

Today I spent organizing and cleaning the house. We are heading to the cabin on Thursday for some New Year's fun! And hopefully some needed relaxation!

I have to say how grateful I am for all of my abundant blessings. Our perspective became really clear when, on Christmas day, we found out that a friend of Jake's from high school's family got in a horrible car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver. The parent's were critically injured and their baby passed away. They also have a 3-year-old, who survived. The sweet little baby that died was born in the same hospital on the same day as Grayson. Jake ran into Ryan and they "reunited" over their baby's births. Jake introduced me to Ryan that day in my hospital room. When I think of them going through such a horrible thing on Christmas, it just breaks my heart. I couldn't imagine something worse. It makes you want to squeeze your babies tighter and just not worry about all the little stupid things. We are so lucky to have each other. Jake asked me what my favorite part of Christmas is and it's most definitely the fact that we get to spend extra time with our family. I'm so lucky to have them and I don't know what I'd do if I were to lose any of them. If you want to know more about the Pack's, here is their website

Here are some pics...

Christmas Sing

2011-12-27T18:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of the kids' school Christmas singing concert. I've been to these 6 years running now, and I just realized that they do the same songs every year. It's kind of a pain to get there and there's always NEVER a seat (even if you're 15 minutes early), but the kids love to see us out in the crowd. I could tell Logan was looking for us, so I stood up and waved my arms frantically and he saw me and got the biggest smile on his face and waved back. It made it all worth it :)

Logan's class

Brecklyn's class

Grayson hanging out with Grandpa before Tyson sang

Tyson's class...after several (failed) attempts to get him to make a "normal" face. He was showing off for the girl in the purple...they "like eachother" ha ha!

Santa

2011-12-10T22:24:00.001-08:00

This year I practically had to beg the kids to go visit Santa. Tyson was truly embarrassed (you can tell by his face in the pic). He was sure someone from his school was going to see him. Brecklyn was nervous, because she's teetering on the fact that she may or may not believe in Santa anymore. She asked me if I thought it was a good idea to tell Santa that she doesn't really believe in him...which my answer was "of course not". Logan was excited and Grayson was pretty fearful, although he doesn't look too bad in the pic (the photographer distracted him for a second or two). But it's a tradition that we'll keep going for a while.

Afterward, the kids all said that Santa had bad breath...ha ha!

Hawaii '11

2011-12-07T15:59:00.001-08:00

My hard-working hubby earned us an all-expense paid trip to Hawaii! It was a really fun trip. I was so stressed about leaving the kids, but apparently they did just great. Grayson started WALKING right before we left and now that we're back, cruises around like it's nothing!

We went with 4 other couples from Jake's work (his 2 bosses, Travis and Kelly, the office/billing guy, Trent, and another salesman, Mike and their wives). It was really fun getting to know everyone and we laughed a lot! I never knew his bosses could be so dang funny.

They rented a beach house and this is the view from the yard.

We lucked out and they had a professional surfing competition (Van's Triple Crown) the first day we got there. It was amazing to watch!

We also got to see sea turtles! There was one chilling on the beach and then one that was swimming out in the ocean and then made its way to the beach. It was really cool to watch it come up to the sand and probably the highlight of my trip!

We spent most of the time just hanging out on the beach. There was a lot of clouds, so my goal of getting a tan wasn't achieved, but it was still really nice and warm. And thankfully, no rain.

We made a weak attempt to snorkel. This is supposed to be the best snorkeling beach, but for us it was pretty tough. The waves got really high and there were tons of rocks...so you do the math. Needless to say it was a quick one!

We hiked (not really a hike, but an easy walk) up to the Waimea Falls and it was so pretty. I saw a banana tree...a first for me! It was fun swimming in that little lake and trying to push Jake's boss in.

On our last day, we went to the Laie temple and did a session. We also went to BYU Hawaii just to check it out a bit.

All-in-all a very nice and relaxing vacation. I'm so thankful to my amazing hubby who worked so hard to get us this time together. I love you Jake!

November in a rush

2011-12-07T15:51:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to write a quickie about November.

A big happy birthday (on the 24th) to my older/only brother Brian! He chose to eat at Porter's Place and then we had Black Forest cake afterwards. It's crazy to think that he's already 34! Man, time really flies!

We had an awesome Thanksgiving this year. Jake's parents wanted to go to the cabin, so we did Thanksgiving dinner with my parents at our house (a first!) and then after dinner went to the cabin to hang out with Jake's fam. Our dinner was amazing and I even dared to do the turkey, which was really yummy and got eaten up!

It was a pretty lazy weekend, but relaxing and fun. I read the first book of the Hunger Game series, which I'm pretty stoked about. The only part I didn't like was at the end when the dead people get turned into ravenous wolves or whatever. That was a little too out there and I thought unnecessary...but all-in-all a good book.

When we got home from the cabin, I tried my best to get everything done before we left for Hawaii. It was a busy week and a busy ending to a busy month!

eleven.eleven.eleven

2011-11-11T11:07:00.001-08:00

Today's date is pretty awesome! Not only is it just a cool number, but it's Veteran's Day as well. Tyson's school puts on an annual Veteran's Day program (by the 5th graders). It was a really well done program, honoring our Veterans. Toward the end of the program, they had all of the Veteran's who were in the audience stand and tell about when they served in the military. It was really touching, especially, to see the ones who are still in the military. You could tell the pride that they all have for our country.

Each 5th grader was assigned to write an essay and each teacher chose 2 kids from each class to read theirs for the program. My dad helped Tyson to write an essay about his great-grandpa, Arthur Nishimoto (my grandpa). It was chosen as one of the essays for the program. Tyson was pretty nervous to read it in front of so many people, but he did a great job. During the program, I don't think there was one person who didn't get choked up. It was awesome. I am so thankful for our Veteran's today...especially my grandpa. They had to edit out a little of the essay when he read it for the school (because it was too long), but here is the essay Tyson wrote:

“Go For Broke”

An essay about my Great-Grandpa Arthur Nishimoto; A War Hero And Veteran Of The US Army

By Tyson Hofheins

My great-grandfather, Arthur Nishimoto, was a WWII veteran. He is from Honolulu, Hawaii and he went and joined the United States Army in Hawaii as a young man of 18 years of age.

He was in the 442nd combat infantry. Their motto was “Go for broke”. He was an infantryman or also known as a foot soldier. This regiment of soldiers was all of Japanese descent and they were not only from Hawaii but other parts of our country including Utah. Some soldiers were also from the internment camps, here in Utah, where Japanese-American citizens were forced to live during the War.

My great-grandfather’s unit trained on the East coast and then they were shipped out to Europe. The first battle that my great-grandfather fought in was on June 26, 1944 at the city of Belvedere. They won this very hard battle. The next battle was on July 4, 1944. He fought on the shores of Italy and France.

When he went to France, he and his outfit battled the German soldiers. Some of the American soldiers in another infantry unit were losing a battle and many soldiers were wounded and killed. This group of soldiers was known as “The lost battalion”. My great-grandfather and his men went to rescue them and were successful. However, there were many casualties and many of the Japanese-American soldiers were killed from the 442nd infantry. My great-grandfather’s unit was also credited for saving many citizens of a town in France called Bruyers which the German soldiers were occupying. As the Japanese soldiers came into this town to liberate it, the French people were grateful and relieved. Some said, “Who are these soldiers?” We thought they would be “Tall Texans”. And they were surprised to see all the Japanese soldiers. A while ago they had a 50 Year Reunion and celebration and memorial service for all the soldiers. This celebration in Bruyers also had a War monument built in their town in honor of the soldiers that saved them. This event lasted a week in France. My great-grandfather was able to go here with my great-uncle. It was a very emotional experience for him.

During a military Regimental Review, all of the soldiers in my great-grandfather’s company were given medals by a general. The general was a little upset because there weren’t a lot of soldiers who were there. The officer who served under the general , who was over the company, told the high ranking officers that this is all there was because most of the men had died in combat.

My great-grandfather is mentioned and has his story told in the book Saints At War written by Robert C. Freeman and Dennis A. Wright.

He now lives in Las Vegas. In his office at his home are many medals and commendations from the War, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and also of post War duty. The Purple Heart is given for battle wounds during combat. He remained in the US Army and retired as a Colonel. He spent most of his career in the military intelligence branch of the Army.

When I talked to my great-grandfather the other day, he also told me that he and his war buddies were being presented with the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, DC. The article was in the Salt Lake Tribune on Nov. 1st of this year. The first person to receive this medal was George Washington. It’s a great honor to receive this medal. I am very proud of my great-grandpa and all of the many veterans, who selflessly served our country and fight for our freedom. I think it would have been extremely frightening to fight in the World War II. Many people were killed and I am so thankful to my great-grandfather for having the courage to do what was right for his country.

3 Nishimoto generations (plus Grayson's head, ha ha). I wish grandpa could have been here for this, but he lives too far away and is getting too old to travel.

One Giant Noggin'

2011-11-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

Grayson had his 15 month check up (a month late) today. His current stats:

Height: 31" (31st percentile)

Weight: 22.8 lbs. (almost 19th percentile)

Head: 19.5" (94th percentile!)

OK, so maybe the reason he isn't walking yet, is because he's balancing an apple on a toothpick?? Ha ha! Now, THAT is a Hofheins trait. If you notice, his head is 1.5 inches more than his entire body's length. I love that!

Fell asleep at the 'meal'

2011-11-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

Sweet Grayson wanted a snack today. He said "cheese?" and so I put him in his high chair with some cheese on his tray. I had a few things to do upstairs and, though I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, I kind of forgot about him...it had become pin-dropping quiet and suddenly I realized that he was still in his highchair. So I went downstairs to find him fast asleep. Oh, he's a cutie pie and I just love him so much.

Brecklyn Loses A Tooth!

2011-11-08T10:50:00.000-08:00

This poor little girl has been waiting and waiting for the day when she actually loses a tooth! All of her friends and cousins have been proudly showing off their little toothless smiles and Brecklyn was so sad that her teeth still hadn't come out! So yesterday she came home from dance and announced that her tooth was REALLY loose..."like, literally mom" (ha ha...she picks up so much of my lingo). So, since Jake was gone with Tyson at a basketball game, I had to conjure up some courage and get it out myself...We tried really hard, but both of us are wimpy girls, so she told me she wanted dad to do it in the morning. Sure enough, daddy came through! He did say, however, that it was a lot harder pulling her teeth, than it was Tyson's...she is daddy's little girl after all!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween was pretty different this year...Reason #1: Normally we have at least one party to go to prior to the actual day, but this year...NOTHIN'! So the kids only got to wear their costumes once...darn.
Reason #2: Logan woke up barfing! I was in the shower at 7:30 and he came running upstairs..."mom, I'm throwing up!" We were so sad! But thankfully he felt better by about 1 pm, so even though he missed out on the festivities at school, he got to go trick-or-treating.
Reason #3: This was the first year Tyson went trick-or-treating with his friends. It was so weird. I remember being that age and not wanting to hang out with your family anymore. He's getting so grown up. Him and his buddies all dressed up as Jabbawockeez...pretty unique.
Reason #5: IT DIDN'T SNOW!!!! Or rain, or hail, sleet etc. etc. The weather was actually perfect. Couldn't have asked for a better night (in Utah anyway).

I was bummed I missed the Halloween parade at school, but Jake came home to take care of the little boys while I went and helped with the party for Brecklyn's class. When she found out that Logan was sick and that I might not make it to the party, she was devastated...so we were so glad Jake could take a break for a while and help out!

We went up to Arden's for some yummy soup and then came back down to our neighborhood to trick-or-treat with Farrah and Shawn and their kids and Karalee (Shawn's sister) with her two boys. It was a fun and easy night.

This picture pretty much says it all...Tyson trying desperately to help Grayson, who is balling, Brecklyn has a cheesy grin and Logan is doing something sneaky in the background. Love it!

Tyson the Jabbawockee

Brecklyn as Pinkalicious

Grayson the sad Gnome

Me and the Content Gnome

Ty and his buddies, Jesse, Michael and Jay

Logan the scary skeleton

Our crew...Brecklyn, Logan, Raegan, Evan, Austin (Kade and Grayson were chillin' in the wagon)

Daddy and the Happy Gnome :)

Fall Break in St. George

2011-10-25T13:41:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this past weekend in St. George. The kids had Fall Break so Jake worked Thursday/Friday instead of Tuesday/Wednesday...He didn't have to miss work, but we were still able to have a fun vacation. The weather was absolutely perfect! Grayson had a hard time sleeping. I don't know if it was just being in his pack-n-play, or what, but he struggled! Now that we are home, he's slept in every morning until 10...that kid!

At our favorite park. Grayson had fun too!

Grayson played in the wood chips for a good hour! I think he could have played there all day!

BROTHERS!

One last picture before we leave...

Jake looks excited to be here ha!

Incentives

2011-10-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

If you know Logan, you know that he is driven by positive reinforcement. If he knows he can earn a dollar for taking out the trash or helping dad with the yardwork...he's ON it! Well, today was no exception. Lately, he's had a few bad days at school and his teacher has him on a smiley face incentive program. If he gets 5 stickers, then he gets a smiley face and gets to choose something from the treasure box (usually some kind of cheap plastic toy that kids love). So this morning I told him that we are going to St. George for fall break, but if he doesn't get a smiley today...well, we wouldn't go. I didn't realize how much it meant for him to go to St. George, but he got really nervous and started to whine. He was worried that maybe he wouldn't get a smiley face today. I told him if he did these three things (listen to teacher, be nice, and be good) that I was sure he'd get a smiley. He was still really worried as he rushed out to the bus. Well, when he came home from school, he ran up to my room and showed me his prize. He said guess what!? And of course I knew he had gotten his smiley. Then he proceeded to tell me this:

"I prayed for Heavenly Father to help me be good". Um seriously, that just about melted this mom's heart. I guess I'm doing something right...or maybe his Primary teachers...but either way, I was sure proud of him and that he knew that Heavenly Father would help him be good. Simple faith. So cute.

Looks like this little family will be heading to St. George this week!

Soccer Champ!

2011-10-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Logan had his last game of the season yesterday. The game started off kind of rocky, because the other team scored first. Logan was defending and couldn't quite catch the guy to protect the goal, so he came off the field so bummed. He was so concerned and said "Mom, I can't beat these guys. I'm not good!" I of course, told him that wasn't true and they weren't any better than any other team he's played before. I gave him a pep talk and told him to think positive and to tell himself "I'm the best!" So he did and when he went back in, he was rejuvenated. I shouted out "let's make a goal, Log!" And right after that, the ball went out of bounds and it was our ball. His teammate kicked it into him and he managed to kick the ball from almost mid-field (a few feet closer to the goal)...left footed...and it sailed into the goal. Seriously, talk about bending it like Beckham! WOW! I've never seen such a sweet goal. And to come from my own kid...and a kid who's only 5! He's amazing :) He then scored another goal later in the game. They ended up winning 3-2. They ended up being undefeated for the season. Way to go Blue Flames...I know their name is rather strange. Logan wanted them to be the Blue Gators, which I thought had a nice little ring to it...but we were out-voted. Blue Flames....ha ha ha!!

Jake did a great job coaching along with Josh, a guy we came to really like through Logan's team last year. They held practice every week and taught the kids some great skills, but weren't overly intense, like some coaches can be.

Getting a pep talk from Gramps...

Notice the tongue...I honestly don't know where that came from!

SCORE!

Grayson takes a stand

2011-10-16T18:10:00.000-07:00

This kid HATES the thought of walking. He stands up just fine and has total balance, but we just can't get him to put one foot in front of the other. Part of the problem (at least I think so) is that he's overly-cautious. He is so afraid...of strangers...of falling...of being left behind...of A LOT of stuff. So I really just think that's it. On the plus side, I've never had to buy baby gates. He hasn't attempted going down the stairs :) He just looks over the edge and knows that danger is lurking!!

Today we tried to get him to walk by putting him on the itchy grass. But to no avail, he still didn't walk. Ah well. Another day! But it was so funny to see him do everything he could to get off the grass...everything but walk!

Squatting to avoid the yucky grass...the face says it all

"Well, while I'm here, I might as well pose". (still squatting if you can't tell)

"I guess I'll stand up, my thighs are getting tired of squatting".

"You think I'm gonna walk, but you're wrong. Do you like my no pants look?"

"Down' I go, sorry."

"Seriously, dad. It's not gonna happen".

Added this picture in so that you could see just how big of a scaredy cat he is. He doesn't like the classic throw you up in the air game!

daddy-grayson time

2011-10-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, we had an impromptu photo shoot with my two favorite blonde boys. Gotta love these twins...

~LoVe~

Of course Logan had to get in on the action, there at the end ;)

Words

2011-10-13T20:45:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write a quick list of words Grayson uses...you know...I don't have a baby book and this here blog is the closest thing I have. Even though he's 15 months and NOT walking, I think he makes up for it with how brainy he is!

"dite" (light)

bye

mommy

daddy

ba ba (bottle)

"Gogan" (Logan)

horsey (horse)

doggie

Cookie (dog's name)

wus dis? (What's this?) (He is so curious about what everything is called and constantly asks wus dis?

gook (book)

oh ya! (Which is probably my favorite thing he says)

a go-go (go bye bye)

kiss

kitty

I'm sure there are more...but I can't think of them right now. He is really inquisitive. I will read him book and say "where's the dog?" or whatever and he can point to it. And he tries to copy words that I use. He also uses my phone and he'll pretend to text by using this thumbs to push buttons. It's really funny.

Table Talk

2011-10-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

So we had a late dinner tonight, due to dance and other errand running. Logan had already gotten out of the bath and was getting into his pjs. He came down with no pants and no underwear on and while at the dinner table put his pajama pants on...minus any underwear. Of course that was weird in and of itself, but this was our conversation:

Me: "Logan, where's your underwear?"

Logan: "I don't need underwear."

Me: "That's gross Logan."

Logan: "Nu uh, I like it. It feels good!"

And then while we were eating, I told him not to get crumbs on the floor and if he did he'd have to lick them up. Thinking that would gross him out, he said "I do that sometimes!"

And finally, he was looking for me to open up his treat and he said "Hey Jamie!"

That kid never ceases to make me laugh and at the same time wonder where did he come from?!

Fall Carnival

2011-10-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the school Fall Carnival. I tried (unsuccessfully) NOT to volunteer for anything this year, since last year was a big pain in the bootay...but somehow I got roped into overseeing the good 'ol silent auction. Small job...um NO. I told the lady in charge that as long as I don't have to ask anyone for money, I'll do whatever she needs me to do. So she called a bunch of sponsors and all I had to do was put together the baskets. It ended up being a lot bigger job than I thought, since there was so much stuff!! However, we DID it and it was amazing. We put together baskets that had themes: BYU, U of U, Jazz, Pamper, Movie Night, and Family Fun Night and each grade was assigned (asked) to bring something in one of those categories. It was amazing how generous people were. And it's nice to live in an area where we have lots of people with money and/or connections (not that we do, ha ha)! One lady donated an autographed Steve Young football and an orthodontist donated an ipod touch! Plus we got tons of other really great items! So, it was a success, but a big headache at the same time. Thankfully it's done. I told Jake to duct tape my mouth the next time the school is in need of any volunteers!

I did manage to break away from the silent auction table for a few minutes and take Brecklyn out to do some rides. Of course I forgot my camera, but here's a couple I got with my phone...

The boys were too cool for me and Jake and didn't want to "hang" with us. How funny! Logan won a really cool cake from the cake walk...he was so stoked! And we actually went away with the BYU basket, and of course all the kids were excited about that! We have plenty of BYU gear now and some tickets to a game in November, so YAY!! Oh, and Grayson was a little dream and hung out in his lil wagon the whole.stinking.night! What a good boy!

School Pictures

2011-10-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here are the kid's school pictures. I just noticed they're all wearing stripes...hmm, I think someone likes stripes :) Anyway, looking at them, it hits me how fast they're all growing. Logan looks so old to me. He's becoming a big boy! And Tyson is already getting that pre-teen look. Ahh, can't they just slow down a bit??

Logan, Kindergarten

Brecklyn, 1st Grade

Tyson, 5th Grade

the clutz

2011-09-28T12:28:00.000-07:00

I like to think I'm pretty coordinated. But the reality is that I can't seem to walk down stairs without tripping, or just get in to bed without jamming my thigh right into the foot board. As a matter of fact, here is a picture of my current bruise from said "jam"...

Yes, that is a massive bruise about the size of my palm on my thigh. Uh huh... That time I said "That's gonna leave a mark". I could feel an insta-bruise emerge through my pants!

Monday, while I was putting the finishing touches on my office/craftroom/bedroom, I noticed my ankle felt like it was "out of place" and so I kept trying to "force" it to feel better. Not sure what I did there, but it sure hurts. And has continued to hurt for the past 2 days. After it happened, Jake and I couldn't stop laughing about all of the many things I do to myself on a daily basis. It's funny that I get hurt so often that I actually forget how the accident occurred. I guess because I get hurt so much that I'm becoming immune to pain? Somebody help me.

And we were sitting at the dinner table the other night and Tyson said that he saw a perfect screen saver for me "It takes skill to walk on flat surfaces". Ha ha, very funny.

Jake laughs because not once, not twice, but numerous times, I have fallen down the stairs...NO SHOES, NO SOCKS, NO REASON!

It's a problem.

My mom said that I was constantly giving her 'heart attacks' when I was a child. One incident in particular, was when I decided to do a backbend. On the sidewalk. And landed on my head. I think she thought I was gonna have permanent brain damage. I also fell down the stairs at work the week before my wedding and sprained my ankle so severely that I had to wear this massive boot for my wedding. I also fondly remember that, as a kid, I would try to avoid balls at all time. (no pun intended). I remember playing basketballl and my fingernails getting ripped off. Or volleyball and getting nailed in the face with the ball.

And I wonder how I can dance? I think I probably can dance better than I can walk a straight line. It's hilarious and so sad at the same time.

What We've Been Up To

2011-09-26T13:36:00.000-07:00

Well, this past week has been pretty crazy. Mainly because I decided to tackle a HUGE project that has been looming over my head. Grayson and Logan currently share a room, but it is just not working out...so we wanted to clear out the office/craft room and put Grayson in there and then put the office/craft room in our room. And of course I was sick and tired of all the ugly plastic bins that pretty much took over the entire office. I wanted to make it somewhat enjoyable to look at. So I started by covering my table with a nice fabric...which led me to create a bunch of stuff to coordinate with it. Here's a glimpse.

Thursday was Jake's 34th birthday. I had won tickets to the circus, so we went. We had a yummy dinner at Seigfried's in SLC beforehand. The kids went nuts over the circus. Even though we were up way late, Grayson was all smiles. The kids and I got Jake a gym membership for his birthday...that's the only thing I could think of that he would like. And he's stoked about it.

Saturday, Logan had another soccer game. Another great win and, of course, he led the team with goals. I love his game face. He gets so intense and I absolutely love it! Jake has been doing a great job coaching his team. It's hard (as his dad) for him to take Logan out of the game, because he knows he's one of the best on the team...but at this age, everyone should get a chance to play.

meet brian

2011-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I've done a post on my OLDER (yes, many think he's younger) brother, Brian. My one-and-only sibling. The person I've stood up for all.my.life. And will continue to look after, as my own child.

this picture melts my heart

Brian is not like any other. First of all, my little Grayson has been reaching for him and letting him hold him. Do you know how huge that is? Grayson doesn't reach for anyone. Anyone except Uncle Brian.

Many people probably wonder what happened to him, or why he is the way he is. OK, so here goes: When my mom was giving birth to him, he was basically stuck in the birth canal. The doctor (who wasn't an OB) could have easily pulled him out with forceps, but unfortunately didn't know what the Hell he was doing and let him and my mother nearly die. Fortunately, another doctor (a smart OB) took over and got him out...blue as could be and, like I said, nearly dead. We all know that when a baby/child doesn't get enough O2 to the brain, they can suffer brain damage. Well, that is the case with my big bro. My mom said that as a small infant, he seemed normal, but had some issues...sleeping etc. Eventually when he was around 2 years old, they began to really suspect that something was wrong. And they figured it all out. Back in the 80's, the special ed. program in schools wasn't that great, so there weren't too many choices. He went to my elementary school until 2nd grade, but then they were able to find a special ed program for him in Lehi, where he ended up through jr. high and high school...where he graduated and was even the prom king his senior year.

He is loved by many and the most social person I know. If you've never met him, you might actually know who I'm talking about (if you live in Highland or Alpine). He's the guy that rides his bike to KK, Kohler's and other places nearby. He "works" at Subway and basically just does little odd jobs.

He can't drive. He will never get married. I will never have my own neices and nephews. And he can probably relate to my kids better than me. But I love him so much and only want the best for him.

When he was 21, I was getting ready in the bathroom, when he had his first seizure. It was such a scary moment. No one really knows why he started to get seizures, but it's something that definitely causes worry to my parents...who are saints. I don't think that when they decided to have kids, they could have ever imagined being a parent to a child with a disability, but have done their best and are amazing. It's probably hard for all of them. I really do admire this guy and look to him as an angel here on Earth. He's always willing to help and is the first person to welcome a new family into the ward. I love you BJ.

September

2011-09-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

My favorite month of the year is definitely September. Not only because it's the month of my birth, but because the weather (in Utah anyway) is pretty much perfect everyday. It's usually high 70's low 80's and sunny. I also love it because with school just starting, I feel like it's the time of year for a fresh start. I always find myself setting goals around this time of the year...which is good! My goal this year was to get up, take a shower and be ready for the day at 7:00 AM. I know that sounds like a really lame goal, but I had gotten into a habit of staying in my jammies until 2...3...pm...ok maybe never getting out of them?!! So, I have been doing this, and I have to say that it DOES make me feel somewhat better about myself :)

As for my bday...it was a few days ago and it was great. I'm now a whopping 32 years old. I don't feel that old and I hope I don't look that old...but needless to say I LOVE being in my 30's. Seriously, I dreaded it when I was in my late 20's, but now that I'm here, I really do love it. I think people take you more seriously, and I guess I take myself more seriously too...I try to do things that would better myself and others. In my 20's I think I was a little clueless as to what life was really about. I know I've had to learn a lot of things to get me to this point (and not the easy way). BUT, in talking to my amazing father-in-law the other day, he said that those things we go through, that put us to the test, only make us wiser. Which I think is where I'm at today. I'm not perfect. I'm no Mr. Miyagi, and I have so many flaws...but I really do enjoy where I am at in life right now.

Jake and my parents went in on a bike for me for my bday! It's a cross between a beach cruiser and a mountain bike. It's wonderful and I can't wait to get a trailer for Mr. Grayson and get out and RIDE! I've already mapped out some trails! Jake's parent's gave me money (cuz they have a money tree in their backyard) and of course that was awesome! Brecklyn and Logan each gave me a dollar and (from their own savings) and I thought that was so sweet. Especially of Logan, since he's SO stingy. His philosophy is I earned it, it's MINE! And Tyson babysat for us while Jake and I went to the Cheesecake Factory...mmm. The best gift of all came yesterday when I found out that Jake earned us an all expense paid trip to Hawaii for working so.dang.hard! I'm so proud of him I could cry. He really has busted his butt these last 3 years and has had MANY ups and downs along the way...including an assault on him while I was in Germany. So to see him be rewarded is priceless to me. I cannot wait! We get to stay in a beach house and go to the BYU vs. Hawaii game. So, it's gonna be amazing. What's better than a trip to Hawaii? A FREE trip to Hawaii :)

So that's how my September has been going. Awesome :)

7 years

2011-09-08T09:12:00.000-07:00

7 years ago, today, I was holding a beautiful baby GIRL in my arms. I remember the first thing I asked when she was born was "so, is she really a girl?" And the doctor held her up and said "YUP, it's a girl!" Oh, man those words were so comforting...and to think...I only have ONE! Thank goodness she came second, or else I would have been really stressed (as dumb as that sounds).

So, here's my little post all about Brecklyn aka Lynni, Lyn, Brecks, Bella, Belly, BB, Bells, Nin, Ninny, Sis, Swiss, Sissy, Breckie, Breckie-lyn...etc.

Brecklyn is good at pretty much everything she does, which is probably why I haven't put her in sports, because if she were better than the boys, they might freak out. But she loves to dance, so she rarely asks to do sports. Occasionally she'll say she wants to do soccer, but she would prefer to dance...which she is amazing at and makes me so proud. She's also so smart. She's the kid who doesn't have to even look at her spelling words for the week, because she'll get 100% on her spelling tests every week. She reads well, is good at math, and is responsible with turning in her work. Her handwriting is beautiful. I think she's going to be my little honor student. And the child I never worry about. Brecklyn just takes initiative with everything and isn't lazy. I love that about her.

She has this feisty personality and can be extremely defiant and want everything her way. Sometimes if I ask her to do something she gets the "deer-in-the-headlights" face and truly ignores me, which in turn makes me mad. BUT for the most part, this last year, she has really become my helper and will do what she's asked. She is so sweet and gives the best compliments. I think that's why she has so many friends. She's extremely diplomatic and would never say she loved me more than Jake or vice versa. And I wouldn't call her a daddy's girl or a momma's girl. Just in-between.

I love taking her on girls nights. She likes to do the things I like to do...and with that said, I may as well go ahead and admit that she's exactly like me. Which is a good thing, but also a bad thing. We tend to butt heads, because we're both stubborn perfectionists. But, lately she is really becoming my best friend. She likes to talk to me about life. The other day she told me that a "brown" boy came up to her at school and told her that another little boy had a crush on her. She kind of blushed when she told me and giggled. I thought that was so cute. I said "of course a boy has a crush on you, you're beautiful!"

She has been trying to use bigger words lately and she just seems so grown up. Especially when I walk into a room and she's searching for Justin Bieber on youtube.

She loves to sing and learned the art of verbrato...and uses it to it's fullest capacity ha ha. I asked her where she learned how to do that and she said lots of people do it when they sing, so that's how.

I think growing up with 3 brothers is going to make her one tough cookie. But she will always be our little princess. I just love her so much and am so lucky to have her in my life.

She wanted to have curly hair for her special day, so we did the good 'ol sponge curler method. Her hair holds curl so well!

She asked and we (Jake and I and my parents) delivered. At first she wanted one of those powerwheels things, but I always thought they look cheap and don't really go fast and break easily. So I found this beauty on Amazon! It had awesome reviews and so far she's in heaven. She tried it out and at first it was a little scary, but she'll get the hang of it. HELMET of course ;)

She's so beautiful!

Brecklyn's 7th Birthday Party

2011-09-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

This year for Brecklyn's birthday, I wanted to do it as easy as possible...call me lazy, but I was pretty worn out from all the travelling and summer fun! Not to mention the fact that last year's birthday party was insane! So after Rachel had her 2 boy's birthday party at the splash pad in Alpine, I decided that would be the perfect place to do Brecklyn's party. Not only is it fun, but it's FREE!!! When I went to reserve a pavilion, I found out that the splash pad closes on Labor Day (today) so we had to do the party a week early. We ordered a party tray from Chick-fil-a and cupcakes from Walmart. Everything was cheap and easy, but good! The kids had fun splashing in the splash pad, playing on the playground and had an impromptu game of Red Rover. Jake said "That was the best party you've ever done!" Probably because my stress level was at an all-time LOW! Ha ha. I did however, make really cute party favors. She wanted a "Tangled" party, so I decorated with the Tangled stuff and then for the favor, I found kids detangler and brushes at the dollar store. The best part was that the brand of the detangler was "Breck Kids"...I couldn't have asked for a more perfect thing! So, that was a big hit with the girls.

Kindergarten

2011-08-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today was so bittersweet. On the one hand, I am so excited to have mornings all to myself with just little G-Man, but then it was SOOOO hard for me to see Logan off to Kindergarten! I have said many many times, that there is just something special about this kid. He is my little partner and I already miss him so much. He was so excited to start school. Here is a little play-by-play for Jake (who had to go to St. George this morning), my mom (who works) and Arden (bless her soul, is in a nursing home after a total knee replacement). And then for the rest of you, enjoy as well!!

Posing for the camera with his big 'ol back pack. Notice the shoes...they're light up shoes...and no, I didn't purchase them, grandpa Spence did. He's such a sucker for Logan's big blue eyes. Oh well! He loves them, so I guess I'll have to find a way to handle it ha ha!! (If you know me, you know that I HATE character stuff and light up shoes...)

My 4 angels. Why does this picture just melt my heart??

Big bro. helping little bro. Wow...so cute

Everyone helping Logan onto the bus. Here's where my tears start to form...

After he blows me a kiss and waves, my tears are officially falling and I'm a mess. A neighbor says "Kindergarten?" And I muster, "ya" through my tears.

I of course followed the bus to the school. As I got out of the car, this is what I saw.

Another little pose.

And off he goes to play on the playground equipment (of death). I kept warning him...no swirly ladders!!! And please, no broken bones this year!

And in he goes...

One more smile for me. I can't believe how big he is!

So there you have it! I am anxiously waiting for him to get home and tell me all about his day. I miss my little guy. Oh, and I forgot...while the kids were waiting to go inside, Grayson reached out to Logan and gave him the biggest wet kiss ever. It was so cute! I'm sure he will miss his brother too.

Good Dad

2011-08-28T18:53:00.000-07:00

I wasn't feeling that awesome today after we got home from the cabin...eating pure crap might have done it to me. So Jake took the reigns and cleaned up the house and even made Ramen for the kids. While I was posting my last post, this is what I noticed. Too cute.

Everyone at the counter slurping their Ramen, watching Nickelodeon.

Random thought, but isn't Brecklyn so beautiful!? Sheesh.

End of Summer Cabin Trip...with FRIENDS :)

2011-08-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a really fun, but quick trip to the cabin in Bear Lake. Jake and I invited a bunch of friends, and the ones that ended up coming were the Ashton's, Anson's and Hartley's (minus Destenee who had to work because she works for Jet Blue and the hurricane back east caused havoc with the company...) It was a really obnoxiously fun group...We (the adults) would sit around 'til 1 or 2 am just swapping stories of life and laughing so.dang.hard. There were 11 little boys under the age of 10 and 2 girls, who despite their 5 year difference in age, hit it off like little kindred spirits. It was so cute watching Brecklyn with Brooklyn. She just adored her and Brooklyn was so good to let her follow her around. The boys were of course in boy heaven, wrestling, riding the razor and ranger, playing hard and getting dirty! I am pretty sure none of my kids took showers,much less brushed their teeth. On Saturday we went down to the island beach resort and swam at the pool and played at the park. We weren't able to get the boat up there, this time, so we didn't go boating, but it was still so fun.

Me and Jake... a rare picture!

We forgot to put a swim diaper on Grayson, so when he got out of the pool, Jake was lazy and just had him go "command-o", instead of putting a diaper on him. While he was playing around, I noticed him with a big brown thing in his hand and he started to put it in his mouth. Turns out he was trying to eat his own poop that had rolled down his pants. NASTY!

Oh, and I almost forgot...we saw 2 moose! A mama and a papa! They were so amazing. Just another reason why I love Bear Lake.

First Day of School

2011-08-23T11:14:00.000-07:00

This day gets me every YEAR! I guess it's because it's just another reminder of how fast my kids are growing up. Tyson started 5th grade this year and has Mrs. Colyar. Brecklyn started 1st grade and has Mrs. Crumrine. I think it was really crazy for me to see them get on the bus and look so grown up (and I'd be a liar if I said I didn't tear up a little). They were both so excited. Last night we had a special FHE all about school and then Jake gave them each (including Logan) a father's blessing. Each of their blessings were so different. It was really cool. They both laid their clothes out and got to bed on time at 8:00. This morning they both woke up around 7:45 and got dressed so fast. I can't say they'll be doing this for the remainder of the year, but it was nice for them not to be running to catch the bus for once! Next week Logan starts Kindergarten and so once he's gone, I will have some quiet mornings (til about 1 pm). It's going to be so strange having a house stay clean for most of the day!

Staycation 2011

2011-08-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last week my mom needed to use up some of her vacation time at work, so at first we wanted to do a short trip to Yellowstone or St. George. Well, the kids had so much going on (dance, basketball camp, karate) that we ended up just doing a staycation. It was really fun and a good thing for the kids to do before school started up again. My kids are so lucky to have both sets of grandparents so close by. I don't even think they realize it!

Here we are up in the American Fork Canyon having a picnic. Tyson and my dad wanted to do a little fishing, but the river was WAY too full and fast. I wasn't about to let them get near it. So we ended up going to the Highland Glen Park.

I love this picture. The pond looks amazing. I wish lakes were as glassy...

Grayson, Brecklyn and I fed the ducks while the boys fished. My mom and Omi relaxed in the shade. You should have seen Grayson's excitement when he saw the ducks!

The next day was Tuesday, and we went to Thanksgiving Point for $2 Tuesdays. It was fun...but WAY crowded. We had to wait in line for the stinkin' pony rides for about an hour...in the sun. The lady standing behind me was BEYOND annoying...so by the time we were ready to ride, I had just about had it! But it was worth it when I put Grayson on the pony and his delight was through the roof! He kept bouncing, like he was trying to get it to go faster.

This little baby pony took a liking to Grayson. And of course Grayson LOVED him. SO cute!

My silly boys...

The dinosaur museum...more crowded than fun. But, hey...when they have it discounted over $10 per person, everyone goes!

Do you see the joy on this little guy's face??

Wednesday we went to the movies and saw the new Smurfs movie. It was cute, but not my favorite kids movie. We had lunch at Quizno's and then headed over to Costco and Walmart on the search for a new wagon (since Tyson and Logan took our old one on a road rally and ruined our old one!) We did end up finding one...here it is...with Grayson inside, enjoying his yummy Cheeto's!

We took our new wagon with us to the zoo on Thursday. It was a HOT day! But it was fun. Grayson was in heaven with all of the animals. He loved seeing the giraffe! He kept saying "gog" (dog). Which, of course is ANY animal when you are one-years-old!

The last day of our staycation we headed to Park City to do some back-to-school shopping at the outlet stores and then we went on the Alpine Slide. This was Brecklyn and Logan's first ride on a ski lift and they were both a little scared at first. After Tyson and I reassured them that it was safe, we had a nice little ride. Tyson interlocked arms with Brecklyn and I held onto Logan. Once they were settled, Logan made the comment "Look at the mountains, mom. They are beautiful!" I love that kid!

Brecklyn rode the slide all by herself and barely made the 48" cut off mark. But I wouldn't have been able to take her...I was a little out-numbered! My mom and Grayson cheered us on at the finish line.

Here's my crazy bunch with grandma. The kids gave a big THANK YOU to grandma...and the week was done in a flash. We had a great time and I'm so glad we were able to do this one last hurrah before the school year! Thanks mom!!

Scary Moment

2011-08-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

Well, first of all, let me preface this little story by telling you this. Our neighborhood is awesome. Since we moved here over 6 years ago, I have always felt safe. I let my kids ride their bikes and play outside. And they often run around from house to house. Well, after today, I have definitely been re-thinking how lax I am about that.

Today Brecklyn wanted to go to her friend Sarah's house. She actually lives about 2 streets over, but there is a short cut through a field right by my parent's house. She asked me if I would drive her, but I figured she would be fine to just ride her scooter. I told her to be careful and make sure and call me when she got to Sarah's house.

About 10 minutes later, one of my neighbors came by and asked if all my kids were home. I told her that Brecklyn had just left to go to Sarah's. She said she was really concerned, because she had seen a strange-looking man in the field crouching down. She said he had been looking at a small girl on a scooter. Her husband, Dave, ran after him because they just didn't feel right about him. When he did, the guy darted off into his truck. Immediately I got a little nervous, but thought I would call over at Sarah's and make sure she had made it. I called their home phone and their cell phone and didn't get an answer. I really began to worry. So I grabbed Logan and we hopped in the car and started to look for her. I first went to Sarah's to check if she was in fact there, but her scooter wasn't there and no one was home. At that point I went from concerned, to worry, to complete panic. I called her friend, Naomi, but she didn't go there. I called my mom, but she also didn't go there. As I drove past the field, I saw two of my neighbors standing there. I told Dave that Brecklyn was missing (he's the one who noticed the weird guy). He immediately called the cops on his cell phone. The dispatch was asking both of us questions, but all I wanted to do was go back home and check to see if she had come back. It was just so surreal to be describing my child to a dispatch officer. At that point a bunch of people started looking for her. I was sick inside and kept thinking about all of the awful things that could be happening to my child. I told the dispatch to call me back on my phone so that I could just go home and check. So she did. On the way home, I kept telling her "this is my worst nightmare...this can't be happening". She was really nice and tried to calm me down. When I got home, my mom was in the front yard with Brecklyn.

Immediate relief rushed over me and I ran to her and just held her until she couldn't breathe!

I can honestly say that I've never before felt such terror in my life. Even after it was all over, I just felt sick to my stomach. Picturing what could have happened to her made me physically ill.

I don't know why this happened, but it was certainly more than just a wake-up call for me to be more careful and cautious. Even in our safe little neighborhood, you never know what evil people are out there! I sat the kids down and had a little talk to them about strangers. Of course Logan told me that he'd use his karate skills to kill them. Even though my kids can be little stinkers, I could NEVER live without them.

Quick Trip

2011-08-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the kids and I drove down to St. George to meet Jake. He has to go down there every week for work, so we figured we would hang out for a while. We didn't do anything too exciting, but it was nice to just have a change of scenery. We got a picture of the kids at our favorite park...this time added little G-man. I think I'll be framing that one :)

Too Many Superheros?

2011-07-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

So, I think after watching Hulk, Spiderman and all other superhero shows, Logan has let a few things skew his reality. This was our conversation the other day...

Logan (while flexing his muscles in the mirror): "Mom, I don't like my muscles anymore. How do you get rid of them?"

Me: "Why Logan, muscles are awesome! Daddy has muscles".

Logan: "No, I really want to get rid of them".

...This goes on and on and I'm trying to convince him that muscles are great, but he just won't believe me...

...Finally...

Me: "Logan, why on Earth would you want to get rid of your muscles?"

Logan: "Because, if I can't 'trol' myself then I might kill somebody".

Seriously.

Grayson's 1st Birthday Party

2011-07-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

We had a blast celebrating lil guy's birthday tonight. Obviously it's a bit late, but better late than never! I wanted him to have just as fabulous a 1st birthday as my other kids did when they turned 1. Jake was giving me the old "He's not going to remember it" bit, but I think it's just who I am. Birthdays are special...so I like to celebrate!

I could feel his excitement too. All night he had a giant smile on his face. After the party gave me a huge blow kiss. His new thing is to grab my hand and then kiss the palm of it. It's gotta be the most endearing thing ever. I can't help out squeeze the life out of him when he does that!

Grayson's my first baby to not demolish his cake. The only reason he has a little on his hands was because his brothers were putting his hands in it. YES...a clean freak!

A First

2011-07-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Well, my boys are growing up...the last few posts have definitely proved that. But my biggest boy is really growing up! Today he told Jake and I that he wants a new cell phone and so we decided to put him to work. If he can help out more and do things we ask him (without groaning) he can earn money to buy his phone. He was really excited about it and even declined an invitation to go fishing so that he could help his dad in the yard. Jake even taught him how to mow the lawn! I couldn't believe my eyes! Before I know it, he's going to be passing the sacrament. The scariest thing about having a 10-year-old is knowing that they are just a few years shy of becoming a teenager. He's already showing signs...

He needs to wear deodorant...wow.

He is seriously hormonal and moody.

He doesn't ask his friends if they want to play...it's "Do you wanna hang out?"

Crazy.

Number 1 Stats...

2011-07-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Grayson had his one year check up today. Here are his stats:

Height: 29.5 in. (34th percentile)

Weight: 22.5 lbs (42nd percentile)

Head: 19 in. (91st percentile)

Ok, so he's a bit short, squatty and has a giant head...??

That's why we love him so so so much!!!!!!

Other new stuff he's been doing/saying:

He loves the dogs and will knock on the sliding glass door to play with them and say "Cookie" (one of the dogs' names).

Other little words he uses:

"good"

"cack" for clap

"gog" for dog

"dada"

"mama"

"num num" for yum yum

"a go-go" for go bye bye (I think??)...he says this one A LOT!

Cute things he does:

claps

waves

bear crawls

kneels (I think when babies kneel it's so cute)

wiggles his legs uncontrollably when he gets excited

dances...he seriously has the most unique and cute baby dance ever! He just can't help himself!

my new favorite: blows kisses. I just taught him this today and it melts my heart :)

Stay tuned for his birthday party post ;)

Little Mister's First Hair Cut

2011-07-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Why do I love this guy so much? I just wanna squeeze him and eat those cheekers!

Anyway...he got his first haircut Tuesday, which made me so sad. I don't know what it is about me, but first haircuts have always gotten me really choked up. I guess it's because it's the beginning of a new chapter. I hate how fast their first year of life goes. I've kept a lock of hair from all of my baby's 1st haircuts. Little G-Man's my first blonde :)

It started off well...

Here he is enjoying a sucker...

But went downhill pretty quick...

But he sure looks cute! He's like a little boy now, instead of a baby...tear :(

Bear Lake in the Summa Time...

2011-07-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a blast soaking up the sun in Bear Lake. Jake's parents built the cabin last year and our first trip there was in September, so we never had the chance to do any boating. But this year we took full advantage of it! Our drive up was interesting...we planned on leaving around 3 or 4 PM Friday, but of course, didn't actually get out of town until around 7:30. We had been on the freeway for about 20 minutes when we noticed smoke coming from the trailer tire of the boat...ahh! So our big caravan of one motorhome full of kids, a one-ton van pulling a boat and a minivan, pulled over. We figured out the problem and were on our way. We made a few more stops (for kids) and finally made it at around midnight...

The weather was supposed to be rainy all weekend, but it ended up just the opposite. Bryan bought a pass to this resort where they have a big beach, playground, pool, tennis and other fun stuff, so it was perfect. We could just pull the boat up to the beach and go boating or stay back and enjoy everything the resort had. If it was too much for the babies, we could just take them back to the cabin. Move over Lake Powell...Jamie's found her new little heaven!

Bryan also just bought another new toy...The Ranger. It's a 6-passenger ATV. It's so sweet. We had fun taking the kids on a little ride.

As you can tell...

Hofheins Summer 2011

has been amazing!!!!

Disneyland '11

2011-07-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

So after the reunion in Vegas, we headed to California! My mom grew up just outside of Palm Springs, so we took a little detour to have a world famous date shake at Shield's date garden. It was so yummy and the kids were in heaven. If you've never had a date shake before, you're truly missing out! After our detour we headed to Anaheim. My aunt, Erin and her family live there, so they had us over for dinner and even got a cake for our two birthday boys!

The next day was Day one of our Disneyland adventure! We also celebrated Logan's birthday. He was lucky enough to be picked for the Jedi training facility and got to learn how to use the light saber. He was going to fight Darth Vader, but he chickened out at the last minute. But he sure was cute to watch. Some of the rides we hit on the first day were the Matterhorn, It's A Small World and Space Mountain. I had never been on Space Mountain before and it was actually really scary! We also visited Downtown Disney and the boys HAD to go to the Lego shop and, of course, were in little boy heaven!

Day two we went to Disney's California Adventure Park! We got there early enough for Tyson and Jake to jump right on Tower of Terror. They wanted me to go, but I'm not a big fan of elevators...especially ones that are dark and drop you 13 stories going like 90 miles an hour. I do, however, love a great roller coaster, so Jake, Tyson, Brecklyn and I all went on California Screamin'. It was AWESOME! We also went on the raft ride where we got soaked! It was fun seeing my mom scream with delight on that one!

For lunch, my mom, Brecklyn and I went to lunch at Ariel's Grotto for the character dining. It was well worth the price, because Brecklyn got to meet 5 princesses and the food was really good. It was a relaxing moment for us girls. I debated whether or not to do the lunch, but I'm glad we did.

Day three was the last day of our trip. It was also Grayson's 1st birthday! So we made sure to celebrate!! Some of the highlights of the day included meeting Mickey Mouse, eating ice cream at the ice cream parlor, and Splash Mountain.

All in all it was such an amazing trip. It had been 7 years since we had been to Disneyland. Tyson was 3 and I was pregnant with Brecklyn. So, going back this time was a dream come true. We had tried many times over the years, but just never had the money. This year, we booked the vacation through Getaway Today and were able to make payments. It was so great. I loved seeing my kid's faces and just knowing how much fun they were having. Grayson was a little dream baby. He loved it! He wasn't afraid of anything and was completely enjoying himself. When we met Mickey, I was nervous that he might get scared, but we walked up to him and he reached out and honked his nose. It was so funny. I was able to go on rides and my mom watched him a lot...which I'm so grateful for! Having my parents with us was such a blessing. It would have been so crazy trying to do it without them. So, a BIG GIANT THANK YOU TO MY MOM AND DAD for coming with us! I know I had to do a little coaxing to get them on board, but I was glad they decided to come and spoil our kids rotten. I think now they need a vacation from their vacation! Erin also came on day 1 and 3, so that helped a lot too. She had her three girls, which was so fun for my kids. She has an annual pass, so she was able to help us figure things out. It was tiring, but fun at the same time. I didn't want to come home.

Reunion In Vegas '11

2011-07-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

We just got back from an amazing family vacation and I have finally had some time to upload and edit pictures. We first stopped in Vegas for a Nishimoto family reunion. My grandparents celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary and we had a Hawaiian style gathering. Most of my dad's family were there and it was

really great seeing everyone again.

My grandma has Alzheimer's and she didn't remember many of us, but she was still so sweet and seemed very happy throughout the day. Grandpa takes care of her and you can see just how much love he has for her. He did a dance and song for us which cracked us all up. He's still got the humor!

They did a short little talent show and Brecklyn did a dance routine that she had learned for her Vibe company auditions. It was so short that she just ended up improvising the ending. I couldn't believe she was brave enough to get up in front of all those people and dance. I guess she's ready for a solo this year.

My Grandma and Grandpa Nishimoto on their wedding day.

Grandpa showing Grayson his dentures. He used to scare the crap out of me when I was little.

G & G's telephone booth. I used to play in this as a kid and had so much fun!

Grandma and Tyson

Grandma loved looking at Grayson and he loved looking at her. It was a really precious moment.

Tyson and Grandpa

All of the Nishimoto grandkids. Notice the 4 little girls...young enough to be MY kids!!

My Star, My Star, My Logi-Star

2011-06-21T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well, the title is a little song that I sing to Logan. He is my Logi-Star...just one of many nick-names I give out. And the song, is just a random little tune I sing to him that I made up. I know...I'm weird. It's just one of the many silly things I do.

Anyway, about my little Logan. He will officially be 5 in 45 minutes (yes it's really late, but I thought I'd do this post before it got away from me). I HATE 5...because so far half of my kids have reached age 5 and passed through the portal of doom. Once 5 hits they no longer want to do what mom tells them to and like to talk back. So, I made him pinky-swear that he would stay sweet just a little longer. We shall see!

I really can't believe how fast he is growing up! He's such a special little boy. He always tries to help me and loves to make money! From the time he could walk, he has been the most independent little kid I've ever met. He never wants me to do anything for him. He rarely asks for help...sometimes I wish he would...it'd save me a lot of cleaning up! But that's my little guy. He worships his dad and his big brother. So much so that he volunteers to be their slave. He is best "frienemies" with Brecklyn. They fight like crazy, but couldn't live without each other. He is so proud to be the big brother to Mr. G and treats him like gold. I often feel sorry for him, because he's kind of stuck in the middle. I see him watch Tyson and Brecklyn go off with their friends, only to hang his little head in sadness, because he doesn't have as many friends. He is also the hand-me-down kid. He gets a lot of Ty's old clothes, but wears them out so much that he can't pass them down to Grayson...so he's the only kid that gets them. I hope he doesn't ever resent me for that! But of all my kids, he's the most easy going and simple kid I have. He's happy to just be watching a movie and eating popcorn. He's so excited for Disneyland. He's never been there before, so he asked me "is it like Chucke Cheese's Mom?"...to which I laughed about for days. He just has no clue, but I can NOT wait to see his excitement!

Love that face!

Here he is helping dad with a project

I just absolutely love him to pieces! Happy birthday little Logi-Star!!!

Coupon Meals

2011-06-16T21:41:00.000-07:00

Hey all you people out there who read my blog! I want to try out something and am hoping you can give me your input. Let me know if you think my idea is good and if you would be interested in it.

I want to start a blog dedicated to planning meals around couponing and weekly deals. I would have the recipes for an entire weeks worth of meals including the couponing deals that coincide with the recipes. I haven't seen any bloggers doing this, but thought it would be a great way for us busy moms to do it all!! The recipes will probably be simple, but yummy...

Let me know your thoughts...

Girls Weekend!

2011-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I got to go on a girls trip to Las Vegas. It was so much fun and RELAXING. I have never done this since I've been married, so it was well deserved and well needed! I went with my sister-in-laws, Farrah, Rachel and Becca and Bug (one of Farrah's good friends from soccer at BYU). We met up in St. George and had lunch at 25 Main.

Then we hit the road and ended up in Vegas. We went shopping at H & M...a lot.

We had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory in Caesar's and the waiter said I looked 60 years old. Ya, weird story and weird guy. Really?

We got pedi's!!! Yay for some of us...but I think Rachel had a slightly different experience.

We also hung out at the pool. Shrek was there and tried to creep us all out, but aside from that it was fun. My friend Lisa, who lives in Henderson, came and swam. It was so fun seeing her.

So it was a magical trip! And we lucked out. Shawn got us a free 2-night stay at the Marriot and Farrah and Rachel were able to work their charm and upgraded us to a 2-bedroom suite! Pretty awesome!

Keep scrolling for more posts...I finally updated :)

Grayson...almost One and Lots of Fun!

2011-06-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

So, if you couldn't already tell from my many posts, this kid OWNS my heart! I love him so much. And I think with that love, I also worry about him so much. I have one or two panic attacks a day regarding what he may or may not have eaten....(not really, but ok maybe). He's just so wonderful and so fun. It's really hard for me to believe that he's almost a year old! We are going to be in Disneyland for his birthday and so I wanted to do a little update on him before then...so his big day doesn't get overshadowed by the thrill of Disneyland ;)

The "woo hoos!"

He is FINALLY crawling. So it's time to go buy a baby gate. We have a lot of stairs in our house and they are truly tempting for him.

He sleeps through the night...no problem!

He dances whenever he hears music (or even just funny sounds that could be music). His dance moves will seriously never cease to entertain me!

He claps and gives hi-five by grabbing my hand and smacking it over and over.

He jabbers on and on and his little language is so stinking adorable. He says "da da" and "ma ma", "cack" for clap, "OH" (his favorite word) and a few other words.

His massive cheeks are probably the cutest things in this world.

He's a good eater, but doesn't really like baby food so much. Who would? It's so bland and runny and doesn't smell that great. He still loves Cheerio's.

He loves water to drink and to splash in the tub and the pool.

He already teases Logan by pretending to bite him!

He has 4 teeth and 2 on the way!

He loves to be on the go and doesn't freak out when we are in the car (thank goodness, what would we do?)

The not-so "woo hoos"

He just doesn't like you. Sorry, but if you're reading this (unless you're Jake), he doesn't like you. He won't let you hold him, so it's almost not worth the try. I've tried and tried to convince him that other people besides me aren't so bad, but he just prefers me.

He's had a few issues (small issues) with his health over the past year that make it seem like I'm at the doctor's office more than normal.

He has a hard time being anywhere other than home. He loves car rides, but doesn't like to just "hang out" at someone elses house. If I'm with him, he doesn't do so bad, but the second I leave his side he gets nervous.

And lastly...he hates getting his picture taken. So as you can see in many of the pictures that Carlyn (Jake's cousin) took, he was pretty ticked off.

But I can't help but love him!!

Here he is with his cousin, Holden. I love this picture.

Happiest with mom...

Chop Chop!!

2011-06-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

So after 5 years of growing my hair out and going on a "Hair Diet", I decided that I needed a change. So I chopped my hair. I really like it, but I sort of identified myself with the long hair. So seeing myself with short is a little strange, but I had nothing to lose...hair does grow back after all!

Tourney

2011-06-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

So Tyson's baseball team has made it to the tournament. They are hoping to get to the championships...that would be cool, but at the same time, I'm ready for baseball to be done. The last game was on Thursday and it was SO crazy! I had never seen adults act like kids more in my entire life! The umpire was the biggest tool on Earth (and he happened to be Rachel's friend...maybe he's a nice guy in "real life"). And by the end of the game here's what happened.

-Umpire gives our assistant coach a warning for high-fiving the boys as they passed the plate on 1st base.
-Assistant coach looks at ump confused.
-Crazy psycho lady fan from other team screams "Way to go Max. Way to respect the umpire"...not once, not twice...but about 800 times.
-Our head coach gets annoyed and says "Will you please be quiet?!"
-Umpire says "You're outta here!" to our head coach.
-EVERYONE starts getting really pissed and puts their two cents in.
-Crazy psycho lady fan continues to yell "Way to go Max. Way to respect the umpire!"
-EVERONE tells her to "way to act your age!"
-Head coach gets extremely mad and leaves (still trying to figure out why he got kicked out of the game for talking to a fan).
-Random guy goes up to our head coach and says "I had to quit coaching when it got too intense, so you might want to think about doing that too".
-Head coach looks ready to punch random guy.
-Jake has to make sure nothing ensues between head coach and random guy.

And what was I doing? Standing there with my mouth agape...completely stunned that this all went down at a little league baseball game.

Saturday is a Special Day...

2011-05-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

Remember that song? I always thought it was so weird...that we had to spend an entire day getting ready for Sunday and it also made it seem like that was the only day we showered or brushed our teeth! Ha ha!

Anyway, our Saturday was great! We wanted to go to the cabin this weekend, but it just didn't happen. So, since the sun was finally out for a few hours, we took the opportunity to FINALLY plant our garden! We had purchased our plants a few weeks ago. I got a great deal...$80 worth of plants for only $23! Last year we only planted 1/3 of our garden, because we had no idea what we were doing. This year I told Jake to extend it to half...but he only extended it about 2 feet :( Needless to say, with our $80 worth of plants, our garden is chuck full! Hopefully our pumpkins don't overpower everything! We planted 4 kinds of tomatoes, zucchini, squash, pumpkins, 4 kinds of peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, herbs and even strawberries! I'm excited to see what pops up!

I also got all caught up on our mountain of laundry and scoured the house!

It was a pretty successful day! But, not a lot of "getting ready for Sunday" stuff. Oh well!

Love This Girl...

2011-05-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my former students, Whitney, who auditioned for SYTYCD. She's amazing and has been since she was my student.

MY MY How May Flies!!!

2011-05-27T15:14:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's the end of May already! We've been up to our eyeballs in sporting events, dance performances and of course school projects...but...alas, it will be over soon! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Here's a little update of our clan...

Jake has been travelling again to St. George every week. He only has to stay 2 days, BUT when you have 4 kids with crazy lives and a crazy life of your own...single motherhood for 2 days is so hard. He doesn't like it either, but since they haven't hired anyone new down there, he feels semi-responsible to keep the area alive (it's his baby, after all...) He's of course still playing indoor soccer with his sisters and brother. They had a pretty solid team last season and I think won most of their games. We try to support him, but when the games are at 10:50 at night...it just isn't possible ;).

Mr. Ty is nearing the end of his baseball season. It seems like with each game, he just gets better and better. Yesterday, after I had a pretty disappointing day, I asked him to cheer me up by playing an amazing game. And he definitely delivered. He hit twice and then his third time up to bat, the team deliberately walked him. At first I was so mad, but then I realized that they knew he'd hit it...so that's a pretty big compliment. He also had a big project for school. He had to do research and a display of one of the counties in Utah. Of course he was stuck with the smallest county...Dagget. Ever heard of it? Me neither. Anyway, he/we did the project and it turned out well. For the project, they also had to form a band and then do a performance in the class. A buddy of his in his group's dad is a music producer, so they actually recorded the song and then performed it. It was easily the best of the whole class. They sang "Where is the Love" by the Black Eyed Peas. The whole thing was a rap and they all knew each word. It was pretty sweet. I posted it to my FB wall, and then Logan deleted it from my phone, so if you want to see it go here.

Brecklyn had 2 dance recitals this month. The first was her company showcase on the 5th and the second was her spring recital on the 21st (which was actually 2 recitals in one day...one in the afternoon and one at night). It was a lot, but we made it through! She will not be going back to the Pointe next year. We have decided that it would be better to drive her to the Vibe where there are smaller class sizes, cheaper tuition and costume fees and most importantly better instruction. It was a tough decision, as she has many friends at the Pointe, but I think it's the best decision for us. And hey, if there are any of you out there with kids that love to dance, let's get a carpool going! Let me know :) Hint, Hint Laci...that little Cami sure is a performer in the making! Anyway, aside from all of that nonsense, she's still a shining little star up on that stage. She is quite the natural born performer!

"Bumble Bee Boogie dance"

Jazz routine. Her costume was so massive, that it fit me! You should have seen the back and how much we scrunched it up with pins. Pretty funny!

"You Are My Sunshine" dance

Messing around in the hall after the performance.

Showing off her moves

Logan has been playing soccer like a serious pro these days. It was like the light bulb clicked on and he figured it out. I'm sad that he had his last game last week, because I don't want him to get rusty. But he's discovered his competitive side and it's awesome. I wonder where on Earth he could have gotten that from?? My mom took some awesome pictures of him and posted them here. When I saw them I was cracking up. You can tell how serious he is about it! It makes his daddy so proud!!

He also had a really big day today and graduated from Preschool! Oh, my heart! He's just like Jake...never make eye contact while you're doing something "embarrassing"...But he still participated and sang the songs. It was hard for me to see him graduate, because he's just growing up so fast. It's so hard to see my babies hit the age of 5, because they change so much and are so independent. I took him to the Dr. to have his Kindergarten exam/shots yesterday and here are his 5 year stats...even though he's not quite 5:

Height: 42.5 inches (47th percentile)

Weight: 38 lbs. (37th percentile)

Those numbers surprised me, because he has always been so BIG...in fact he was in the 80th for weight and 97th for height at his 2 year check up! I guess I just have big babies and then they sorta...shrink? Dr. said not to worry though...he's just fine :)

Here he is NOT making eye contact while he sings his little song. He was really cute. Not quite the performer, like his sister, but likes to participate without anyone knowing...Jake anyone???

Hangin' with his buddies

So proud...eating a cookie of course!

Grayson's latest and greatest include 4 new additions...teeth that is! His bottom left and top left teeth came in first, so he was a little lopsided, but just this week the other two popped out. When he smiles his toothy smile, it melts my heart! He is still not quite crawling. He's just taking his sweet time with that one...but he scoots all over the place and can get himself where he wants to go...eventually. It's funny because he'll be in one spot playing and I'll be doing something and then realize he's moved all the way across the room. He will be 11 months soon and it really freaks me out that he is almost a year old! WOW! He loves the bath and thinks that splashing Logan while bathing is the funnest thing in the world. He just laughs and laughs and makes a big mess. But it's adorable. He loves to eat Cheerio's. I'll put him in his high chair, give him a big handful of them and he'll stay there for a good 1/2 an hour. After he's done snacking, if there's anything left on the tray, he wipes it all off onto the floor, letting me know he's DONE! It's pretty funny. He is in the magical stage of sleeping well...2-3 naps per day and a full nights sleep at night. He's amazing in every way. He still has stranger danger, but we're working on it. He let Rachel babysit him for 4 hours the other day and didn't cry one bit. I think auntie Rachel is his favorite, because she has little Holden to play with. I wish they weren't moving in July :(

And as for me...well like I said...I'm a "single mom" for a couple days a week, so my duties as wife and mother seem to be getting an "N" these days (Needs Improvement). I am constantly feeling like I'm coming up short with everything I do. I can't quite get the laundry done...can't quite get the house clean (or when I do, someone comes along and makes a big 'ol mess and I'm back to square one)...I'm late (for everything)...I don't have time to exercise, get my car cleaned or sometimes even shower...I have to run to the drive thru a lot more than I'd like to, because of this game or that appointment...

No matter what it is...I just can't ever seem to measure up to my full potential. Yesterday it seemed to manifest itself the most when I received an email from Jetblue saying that I wasn't selected to work for them. It made me feel so completely rejected. My friend, Destenee, who was hired with them said that it's pretty easy to get the job. So after NOT getting the job, my confidence was pretty shaken. MAN, I must be a complete idiot!

But all-in-all, I must say that I do a lot for my kids and they are #1 in my life. They are my priority. I will support them 'til I die! I think that my favorite part of being a mom is watching my kids progress and grow into the amazing people that they are. I marvel at everything they do! So, when I watch them do all those things that I've listed, I realize that even though most of the time I screw up, I must be doing something right!

Another Game Ball

2011-05-13T15:59:00.000-07:00

I posted this about Tyson last year. Last night Tyson had a really BIG baseball game. They were going to be playing a team that is undefeated...and we were also undefeated. It was so important that the coaches held an extra practice the night before and had a 45 minute practice right before the game. I thought that the kids might get hungry, so I brought them some orange slices and watermelon slices. In the first inning, we were outfield and the other team stole bases a lot and scored 4 runs. We then scored only 1 run. As the game progressed, we were down 5-3 and we were up to bat (and it was the last inning). We had one out and Tyson was up to bat. He had 2 strikes and 3 balls (full count) and my heart was racing. The last thing I wanted was for him to strike out. Thankfully, he hit the ball and made it to 1st base! It was the most exciting moment of the entire game! After that Tyson tried to steal 2nd base, but was called out, because he didn't slide. He was technically safe, but I guess in this league, you have to slide (dumb rule). So then the kid who was up struck out and we lost the game. I knew Tyson felt responsible for the loss. I think his coaches also knew that and were so great. They awarded him the game ball and only praised him for that HUGE hit. After the game the coaches treated the whole team to ice cream at JCW's. Even though they lost, their coaches praised them for a hard fought game. I was so proud of Tyson. He never ceases to amaze me!

Couponing Classes

2011-05-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

I am starting to teach couponing classes. What I will be doing is teaching a few classes a month. I would like to stay in the area (Highland, Alpine, AF, Cedar Hills, Lehi, Draper) but if you are further, I will see what I can do. If you are interested in having me teach a class, please let me know. I would like the group to be at least 10 people, if possible. So if you have a ward group or just a neighbor group, that would be perfect. I can come to your home, church, or whatever! I have had many of you ask me to teach classes and am really excited to start doing this. The class will be free, so no worries. I can also "hook you up" with an awesome newspaper deal for the Salt Lake Tribune or the Deseret News. If you already know how to coupon, but haven't ordered papers yet, you could just order papers from me and not do the classes. Let me know either way!

Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day weekend was awesome! The boys went on their first ever Father's and Son's camp out with Jake's dad's ward. Jake said it was so fun. Everyone was able to go...Jake, Chad, Shawn, B. and all their boys. They came home tired and stinky, but had an incredible time canoeing (sp?), fishing and playing. Since the boys were gone, Brecklyn and I decided to have a mommy daughter date (+baby). We had dinner at Cafe Rio and went shopping (Brecklyn's idea! I asked her if she wanted to go to a movie, but she said she'd rather shop!) We had a lot of fun together and on our way home she told me how much she loved that. We'll have to do that more often.

Saturday I took my mom out for a mommy-daughter date of our own! We went to breakfast at Kneader's and then did some more shopping! We had fun trying on hats and being silly. It will definitely be a new tradition for us!

After that, we headed to Logan's soccer game. He played like a CHAMP and scored 5 out of 11 goals! He was so proud...after all, he's never scored in any games so far (including last season). So it was a big breaking point for his confidence. It was so fun to watch. After each goal (whether he scored or someone else, he'd hold up his fingers and look at me...keeping track of the score. When they got to eight he made 2 circles with each hand and stuck them together, to look like the number 8. He's hilarious. And after he scored his 5th goal he did "stones" to his buddy and "blew it up". Hilarious!!

After the game we ran some errands and then headed to Farrah's for Raegan's birthday party. Then it was on to more shopping at the mall! Jake bought me a new pair of sparkly silver Tom's for Mother's Day and some other stuff. I felt so spoiled!

The next day was Sunday and I woke up to the traditional breakfast in bed followed by gifts handmade by my adorable babies. Brecklyn gave me a coupon book, Logan gave me some potpourri and Tyson gave me a duct tape purse! And they all gave me a new wallet. Jake helped me all day by cleaning and taking care of the kids. We went to Bryan and Arden's ward to hear Bryan speak. He did a great job!

After church we had a king-sized BBQ with more food than I had ever seen! I assisted Jake with Bruschetta...yum! Arden gave us all a frame with a poem that she wrote. It really meant a lot and was awesome!!

All-in-all one of my favorite Mother's Day weekends ever!

Miracles Do Happen

2011-04-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

Life is crazy...
I was driving through a construction zone today after I picked up Logan from school. The road that I was driving on was very narrow...about half the size of a normal lane. I was in between construction cones and the gutter with cars in front and behind me. As we were passing a big side-dumper truck, I noticed that a back-hoe was dumping large slabs of concrete into the truck. Somehow it missed the truck and landed on my car! I freaked out, thinking that the whole side of my car was crushed. I immediately braked and just starred at the several construction workers that saw the whole thing. Their reaction was probably a mirror image of mine...completely stunned. I checked the kids, who were fine. And then I got out of my car. To my surprise, the only thing that had happened was that my tire had blown. WHAT? I really couldn't believe it. I called Jake, but he wasn't able to come (since he was in Santaquin) so I called my dad and he came and helped me. He and the construction workers changed my tire and soon we were on our way back home.

All I could think of after that happened was how an angel must have been with us, because in all reality...Logan should have been killed. I KNOW that the concrete slabs hit my car. I felt it. It was a huge BOOM and I felt the car get hit. But somehow...besides a small dent in the wheel well and the popped tire...no damage. Thinking about it made me feel so much immense gratitude for my Heavenly Father. I know He was looking after me and my little family today. The feelings really overwhelmed me and I was in tears. I called my mom and she had already spoken to my dad. She was also crying and told me how this morning she really wanted to go to the temple. She said that she had a rough morning and thought maybe she shouldn't go and try again another day. But the Lord prompted her to go. So she did and for some reason, she felt that she needed to put Logan's name on the prayer roll. WOW. This gave me chills. I couldn't believe that. How could she know? If you don't know this...my mom is one of the most in-tune people I know. She really has been given a spiritual gift. I'm so glad she does and that today she listened to that still, small voice. It must have been that same angel that took care of Logan when he broke his arm.

In all my life, I have never experienced such a tangible miracle. It seems like such a small thing, but I like I said, I know that those large rocks hit my car. They could have done so much damage to not only my car, but to my children. It was really truly the Lord. I'm so blessed. So blessed. It was a wake up call as well. I feel like I take my kids for granted sometimes. They can be whiny and naughty and quite frankly annoy me sometimes...But I wouldn't trade that for anything. I'm so lucky to have them. I'm so so grateful for each of my kids and their amazing abilities to make my life so rich. I really don't know what I would do if I never had the opportunity to be their mom. I wouldn't know unconditional love. That alone is the best blessing ever.

All I can say is that miracles do happen.

Easter Fun

2011-04-26T13:37:00.000-07:00

Easter was filled with Easter egg hunts (as usual). My kids now have enough candy to last them for a year. They had fun with cousins and grandparents. Our adult Easter egg hunt was fun. On Sunday we went to church and the kids wore their new outfits. Even little Grayson wore a tie! Doesn't he look adorable!? Our primary presidency was released, making me sad. I've become pretty close to the president and was sad she'd be leaving us. But, I guess it's high time she was released....she's been in primary since we moved into this ward 6 years ago! (I'd die!) My mom made the biggest meal...so yummy! Sadly, Jake got sick Sunday night and was throwing up all day yesterday. But he's okay now. I'm thinking he got the 24 hour flu that his sisters and bro-in-law had. YUCK.

'My Wife's Back'!

2011-04-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

Jake has been asking me all week when he was gonna 'get his wife back'. Nice. Even though he was joking, he realized that I had a busy week and it was pretty crazy. On the 14th we celebrated our anniversary by going to the Cheesecake Factory and on the way home, I started to feel really sick. I had a sore throat, fever, chills and a massive headache. So the next day (which was the most sunny and warm day of the week) I was stuck in bed...my DEATH bed (it felt like it!) I couldn't get out of bed to save my life. Thankfully Jake took a half day off work and took the kids to the park. But needless to say, I spent the whole weekend in bed. I was able to get myself out of bed for an hour to trudge over to the insta-care. It turned out that I had strep throat. And instead of taking the 10-days worth of antibiotics, I opted for the Penicillin shot. I know, I'm crazy...but when you have 4 kids with very scheduled lives, you do NOT have time to be sick. I wanted to speed up the recovery process. Unfortunately, I didn't feel 100% until Tuesday. By that time the laundry had piled up higher than the ceiling and the kids were wearing some interesting get-ups. The house looked like a bomb went off. It was disastrous. Usually I deep clean the house on Thursdays or Fridays...but since I had been sick, it had been almost 2 weeks since the toilets had been scrubbed, floors done and all that! You can imagine. But I couldn't get to it...I knew I had my couponing class on Thursday! Plus Jake went out of town on Tuesday and I was in charge of getting Tyson to his baseball game on time, cheering him on (like a good parent) and hoping the rest of the things could get done.

I think I put a lot of pressure on myself...but when your husband 'jokes' when you will be returning...it makes you feel that much worse.

I wanted my couponing class to be absolute perfection. It was going well, but when I tried to access the internet, it wouldn't work! AHH! So, after fiddling with it and having a guy come in and fiddle some more, we decided the best thing to do was to move everyone into the gym. And thankfully it worked at that point. I think it went really well, and I got a lot of positive feedback. Since there is a lot of info., I wanted to make it as fun and interesting as possible. I did a powerpoint with pictures and even had a little contest. I had a picture of a big grocery trip I had done and had them guess how much I spent. I gave a cute file folder as the prize. I also made some mini muffins that I had purchased for free...they're way more yummy when they're free!

So that was Thursday, and on Friday (yesterday)....dun da da dun...I SCOURED the house! It took all day, but it's clean. The laundry is done...but not folded and put away (isn't that the worst part of doing the laundry?) I'm crossing my fingers that I can get to that at some point today. So when Jake got home from work, you can guess what he said... "MY WIFE'S BACK!"

Last night Tys had another baseball game. He was really COLD and nervous...because some of Jake's family had come. Poor guy. He normally plays so well, but he told me that since they don't make it to too many games, he feels added pressure when they do! (a lose lose situation!) So he struck out twice. But he made some good plays defensively. Jake's dad always jokes with me that I'm so competitive and intense, but I think I'm only that way when they come...because he doesn't play well. Sheesh! But I'll admit I'm competitive. I've always been that way. And if I'm not good at something, I will not do it. I know...so dumb.

Today Logan had his first soccer game since breaking his arm. He is such a smart little player. He does everything he can to defend the ball! He made a great assist. He blocked the ball and then passed it to a girl, who then scored. It was awesome. After the game I told him what he did was called an assist. So he kept saying "I did so good! I got an assisssstht!" So cute. The coach doesn't know what he's doing and Jake was getting so annoyed, so I said get in there and help Jake. Which he did (and Jake isn't the type to take over, ever...) When he stepped in the game really turned around. Jake saved the day for real!

Today we're celebrating Easter at Jake's parent's house. Can you say ADULT Easter egg hunt? Wahoo! Last year I was to large and slow (pregnant) to participate, but guess who's wife is back??? Ha ha! Jake's so excited, because heck...he has THE most competitive person on his team! So go team Jake and Jamie! I'll update on that later :)

4 Eyes

2011-04-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

So clear back in May of '10, when Brecklyn had her Kindergarten physical, they did an eye exam. Twice. Why? Because she "failed" both times. The doctor wasn't too worried about it and said that kids will often fail them because they are so nervous about the dreaded shots! When the school year started in September, the school nurse also did an eye exam. As you could guess, Brecklyn failed again. So the nurse let me know about it, but I wasn't too concerned. In my opinion, I didn't think she needed glasses. The nurse was pretty concerned and kept nagging me through the year about getting her an eye exam. So, finally when she said "Would it help if I gave you a coupon for a free exam and free glasses"...I took her in! And, much to my surprise, she's got horrible eye sight. The doctor said that if it had gone on any longer, she may have gone cross eyed! I felt so bad...I don't know why I brushed off the first three failed exams. I guess I just never noticed her squinting or anything and she reads really well. Well...now she has her glasses and loves them. She was excited to show them off to everyone. I hope that excitement continues!

I know...she looks so grown up!

Ball Game

2011-04-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Tyson had his first game of the season on Tuesday. He was lucky enough to be placed on another great team. They won 13-2! He played so well. I could see so much improvement since last year. When he got up to bat, he seemed so confident. Instead of letting the pitcher "walk" him, he smacked the ball and got an RBI (I think that's what it's called)! He did get one pitch that hit him in the hip...so he was forced to walk. I know he wasn't happy about that, but he did such a great job. He played outfield (r. and l.) and 3rd base. His dream would be to be the pitcher, but I am so glad he's not...too much pressure!

At bat...notice his confident stance!

Taking a practice swing

The spectators. Look how big Grayson is getting!!

Flexible Baby!

2011-04-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

These two videos of Grayson are pretty great! I love how flexible he is. We've always thought it was pretty crazy. I'm flexible, but not like this! And in "Baby Dance", I crack up whenever this kid dances. He gets his whole body into it! Love him so much! And thank you modern technology for letting me share this with everyone :)

Baby Dance

2011-04-16T11:07:00.001-07:00

Jake's First Couponing Excursion/ Come to My Couponing Class!

2011-04-06T22:37:00.000-07:00

This was an amazing deal that we got this week. Since Jake works in Orem and Provo a lot, I sent him to get it (since our Walmarts nearby didn't have any in stock).

Similac Baby Formula (only this variety: Sensitive Spit Up ready to feed quart) on rollback for $3.48

Using the $5 off any Similac formula coupon (in the 4/3 Smart Source insert)

or the $3 off any Similac formula coupon (in the 4/3 Smart Source insert)

or the $5 check/coupons they send out to new moms all the time...

we were able to get 15 bottles of formula and make $7.40! Pretty awesome!

Jake said it was the biggest rush he had ever had! I must agree, it is such a rush!

And just as a side-note, I just finished watching extreme couponing. NO, I would not consider myself anywhere near that! I think the most coupons I have ever used at one time was maybe 50-100?? Some of these people had thousands of coupons! I started couponing to save money and to make our dollar stretch. With 4 kids and a whole lot of bills...every penny counts! I have been able to get a lot of great deals, but I definitely think there is a limit. One guy bought 1000 boxes of cereal. Seriously...who needs all that? But, I did notice a lot of personality similarities with myself and the people featured on that show. Yes, I am extremely organized and detail oriented. I am a control freak, so when they are ringing in my coupons, I count and make sure they enter each one. I like my stockpile to be neat and super organized like a store...just like theirs. And of course I love a good deal! But I guess my addictions could be worse, right!?

I will be teaching my first couponing class on April 21st at 7 PM at my church...which I don't know the address to, but if you want to come, just let me know and I will get you directions. I know a lot of you out there would definitley love to make money off of purchasing formula (something we definitely need around here!!!)

Cabin with Friends

2011-04-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

We had fun this past weekend with our friends the Bushman's and the Hartley's at the cabin. It was still very cold, so we spent all the time indoors, but the kids had plenty of things to do. They played video games, made blanket forts, played bored games and just hung out. It was nice to just relax. We watched conference and Allison, being the fun mom, made conference packets for all of the kids and even did a little easter egg hunt...which was a huge hit. We also had some time to put together a small craft...hair flower clips for the girls.

Cast Off

2011-03-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

Logan got his cast off yesterday. You can see by the progession of the pictures how "fun" it was for him. He was really stoked when we walked in there, but he started to realize that it wasn't as cool as he thought! When they took the pins out, he cried and cried! It made me panic! Jake was there, so he was the voice of reason (he usually is in any crisis...not that this was a crisis, but you know what I mean!) I think about it now, and I was the psycho in the corner rocking back and forth with my hands covering my face. I'm a baby, what can I say! I seriously hate seeing my kids in pain. He seems to be doing better today. And it will be the biggest test when we take off his green bandage and give him a bath today! He still doesn't dare to bend his elbow, but he's been trying to pick stuff up...which is pretty comical in itself (all stiff armed). I love this guy!

Oh, and he made a couple funny Logi-isms last night too:

Logan: "Hey Nin (nickname he gave Brecklyn), do you know Dr. Seuss?

Brecklyn: "Ya".

Logan: "Hims my doctor!"

And the other one:

Logan: (I was trying to get him to grasp small objects) "I can't do it mom".

Me: "Yes you can, your hand works".

Logan: "I know, but my arm is really weak".

I know my delivery and your reading it doesn't really make it sound all that funny, but if you know him, his voice, and his endearing lisssssp, you know how stinkin' funny it truly is!!!

Dancer Girl

2011-03-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Brecklyn's the most beautiful dancer I have ever seen...because she's MINE! I love watching her dance...I know I say that everytime I post dance posts, but she makes me so proud. Maybe because, as a parent, we can only hope that our kids will enjoy the things we are passionate about. I know it bummed Jake out when Tyson struggled with soccer...thankfully Logan is loving it though! They pave their own path, but it's nice when they can follow in your footsteps and, as a bonus, are WAY better than you ever were...which I know Brecklyn will be (she's so much better than I was at that age!)

Today she had her second dance competition of the season. Her call time was 7 AM (in Bountiful)...so we slept over at the Hartley's in Farmington (thanks again Hartley's!!). Even though it was very early she wasn't ornery or over-tired and did great. The competition rates performance on a scale of 'diamond, ruby, emerald and sapphire' (diamond being the highest). The first dance "You Are My Sunshine" recieved a diamond and was a judges choice dance. "Oh So Quiet" recieved a ruby. That dance is getting much better (it was a mess last competition). We weren't allowed to take any pictures, so that is why this post is pictureless! My parents came and since they couldn't use cameras, I think my mom was able to really enjoy it. She is always behind a movie camera and doesn't get to really see how amazing that little girl is! She loved it.

Blessed

2011-03-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Jake and I were trying to figure out just how we were going to pay for Logan's big accident! On Monday we got a letter saying that the school district's insurance would be paying for his medical bills. What a blessing!

Slow Sunday

2011-03-20T15:08:00.001-07:00

Logan leaned over to Jake in sacrament meeting today and asked "Hey dad, is it fast Sunday?" And Jake said "no". So Logan said "Oh, so it's slow Sunday?" Love that little man!

Cool

2011-03-09T12:05:00.000-08:00

Tyson is going through a phase right now, where he doesn't hand in his homework (for some reason). He'll do the work and forget to give it to his teacher...or he'll never bring his assignments home...and obviously get's a big fat 0 for not turning it in. I hadn't ever worried about him, but I checked his grades online, one day, and they were mostly C's! I nearly passed out. After talking to his teacher, we were able to get some of the missing work handed in and he did some extra credit to pull his grades up to A's, where they should have been all along, Don't get me wrong, I know kids aren't perfect, and most-likely won't get straight A's, but Tyson is pretty stinking brilliant. In fact, all of his test scores and in-class assignments are almost all 100 %. School is extremely easy for him...so seeing him doing poorly (due to not handing in homework) was making me sick. But I just got a nice email from his teacher last week and was so happy. Good emails from teachers don't come along all that often!

"Every month, one person in each class is awarded with a gift certificate for excelling in a subject area in school. For March, it is for science and i chose Tyson to be the recipient! He doesn't know this and he will be presented with it in an assembly on Monday at 10:00 am. I just wanted to let you know in case you would like to come. Thanks for all you do! P.S. Ty got all his homework in today! Yay!"

Alice In Wonderland

2011-03-09T11:43:00.000-08:00

Last night we wrapped up the school musical, Alice in Wonderland, which Tyson was in and which I did choreography for. The show was a huge hit and everyone loved it. It was really fun working with the kids and especially fun to be involved with something Tyson was doing. Tyson did a great job as the Jack of Spades.

Here's Tyson opening night. He had to wear his hair in a headband slicked back, so after Friday, he cut off his hair!!

I choreographed this dance. It was a fun piece to do.

Part of that same dance above. 'Small Alice' was a ball of energy!

Check out that large mushroom! The set and props were all done by parent volunteers...wow!

Brecklyn and Logan came to all of the performances...even with a broken arm...they loved it!!

Carolyn and me...she's the other choreographer.

Me and the Jack of Spades

Basketball

2011-03-08T14:41:00.000-08:00

Tyson just wrapped up his season of Jr. Jazz. He really loves basketball and is starting to learn more and more. After baseball season (this summer) he's thinking he really wants to get more serious with basketball and go to XSI factory. It's pretty expensive, but I guess nothing could be more than what we pay for dance!! He really does love basketball and it's so fun to watch him.

Logi's BIG Adventure

2011-03-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

The story I'm about to tell is really just one blessing after another. I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father for all the tender mercies and how everything just seemed to work out.

On Monday I woke up around 6 AM feeling extremely uneasy. I felt like something bad was going to happen. I told Jake about it and that I thought that it may have something to do with finances, but that I just felt worried. He suggested I pray to find the good in things and that everything would be okay. So I did. I prayed every night that I could be more optimistic and then yesterday the "feeling" turned into reality!

I was getting ready to head to the store when I got a call from Westfield Elementary. My first thought was "What did Tyson...Brecklyn...Logan do NOW...". The same secretary who informed me of Tyson's broken arm (back in October) was on the other end. She very calmly told me "Logan has had an accident and has a severe break". At first I was worried, but more annoyed than anything. I couldn't believe that I had another boy break his arm! Since she was so calm, I figured it was the same condition as Tyson. But then she started to tell me that they called 911 and that the ambulance was on its way. I asked "Is it that bad?" and she said (calmly again) "Well, his bone is exposed". So then I immediately began to PANIC! I remember saying "OH NO" about 20 times. She tried to get me to calm down, but all I could think about was my poor Logi-Star laying there with his bone sticking out of his arm...and as I always do, I imagined the worst possible scenario!

I hung up with her and called my dad. Grayson was napping, so I thought I could just have my dad come and be with him. But I couldn't get a hold of him. So I called my grandma, but no answer. So as I ran around panicking, I finally was able to get a hold of Arden. I'm sure I scared the crap out of her, but she said she would be able to meet me at the school. Thankfully, she hadn't gone to the gym because she had not been feeling well (tender mercy #1).

When I got to the school, the paramedics were already there and Logan was already strapped to the gurney and they were just getting ready to leave. A man told me that his son is in Logan's class and he's a pediatrician (tender mercy #2). He was able to assist the paramedics. I was really glad that I didn't have to see what was underneath his bandages! He was so kind and offered to wait with the baby (who was still in the car) until Arden got there. He also suggested we go straight to Primary Children's Hospital, in SLC. He said they would be the only one's able to handle a fracture like this.

So, we had our first ride in an ambulance. I became pretty nauseous, but thankfully, didn't throw up. All the while, I was texting and calling everyone. My dad called too and he happened to be in SLC, so he and my mom were able to meet us at Primary's (tender mercy #3). During this time, I know Logan had his angels watching over him. He was very still and didn't even whimper. The paramedic said (in an Australian accent) "Logan is my hero". They worked on him and tried to give him an IV, but missed the vein. He still just remained still. Obviously he had gone into shock, but I really still think those angels were keeping him content (tender mercy #4).

Here's Logan while we were in the ambulance

We finally got to the hospital where we met lots of doctors and nurses. None of them could believe how brave he was. The orthopedic surgeon told us that his type of fracture was very common, but the fact that it broke through muscle and skin was very uncommon.

Before...(side view)

Before...(top view)

While they were working on him, I had to leave the room. There was no way I could look at that! While I was out in the hall, I had a major melt down. I started thinking about the financial burden that this was going to be and just started to freak out (our insurance deductible is really high). Thankfully my mom was sitting with me, ready to listen. And a social worker passed by...he too listened to me and was able to offer up some advice. When Jake got there, I introduced them and said "he knows my life story..." It was funny, but weird at the same time...because I rarely let anyone know what's really going on in my head.

After talking with the orthopedic surgeons, they said that he would be able to have surgery in about 2 hours. Well, 3 hours and 15 long minutes passed and he was on the operating table. It was so nerve racking to be waiting. While we were waiting, Rachel called and told me that she had taken little Grayson in to the doctor, because she thought that maybe he had an ear infection. Turns out, he had a double ear infection! I can't believe I didn't even notice that! He hadn't been fussy or anything. It meant so much to me that she took the time to have him checked. (Tender mercy #5). I appreciate the bond that Rachel and I have through our two special boys.

When the surgery was finally over, the doctor greeted us and told us that he did great. He was amazed that even though his bone went through his bicep muscle and skin, he managed to miss 2 major arteries and a nerve completely (tender mercy #6). He had to have 3 pins placed. He has a soft cast on now, but they will put a hard cast on it in a week. He's really excited to get his cast...just like Tyson!

Just after surgery. That blue thing was his shirt...they had to cut it off.

After...(top view)

After...(side view)

They kept us overnight for observation. They didn't want him to run the risk of infection or excessive bleeding. He did really well. Neither one of us got much sleep, however! We were right across from the nurses station and our "next door neighbor" was a baby who cried all night. So it was a noisy, uncomfortable night. But he got to order "room service" and they had some yummy food. And we watched Spider Man twice!

Happy Camper after a yummy dinner and FINALLY getting to take off that darn neck brace!

I'm so thankful that it wasn't any worse. I found out later that what they think may have happened (no one actually saw him fall) is that he was playing on a ladder that has D-shaped rungs. He was about 3 feet high and he was trying to swat a spider off of his shoulder. He lost his balance and fell down. They think that his arm got caught in the rungs. I talked to that same pediatrician this morning (he called the hospital, concerned...how sweet!) and he seems to think that is what happened (based on info. he obtained from the teacher and some of the students). He too agrees that a fracture like that rarely goes through the skin, so it had to have gotten caught. Either way, my poor baby! I'm just glad everything is okay now. I am also so thankful to be so near to my family. Everyone helped out so much. I was really a stress case yesterday, but with their help, was much better off! Logan is doing just great now and is flying higher than a kite. He is annoying us all with his stories that he keeps telling over and over, but it's great to see him back to his cute little self!

Competition #1: America Onstage at Thanksgiving Point

2011-02-27T15:22:00.000-08:00

Brecklyn had her first competition of the season yesterday with her new studio. Their first dance "It's Oh So Quiet" was kind of a big mess, but their second one, "You Are My Sunshine" was a lot better. They got 3rd place in the first dance and 1st place in the second dance. I think next time they'll do a lot better. Her team has a lot of beginners and girls who haven't ever competed, so it was probably a little scary for them. Brecklyn looked like a seasoned pro. She is such a joy to watch. She has a lot of fun dancing with her BFF, Sarah! They're both so sassy and cute! She is growing up so fast. Usually I give her a kiss and a hug for good luck right before she goes back stage, but this time, she didn't want me to! She was like "mom, I gotta go!" I felt the life suck right out of me, as I realized how big she's getting! She no longer needs me for encouragement...maybe! I think we all need our moms to be our biggest cheerleaders, right?!?!

Some More Logi-ism's

2011-02-22T19:07:00.000-08:00

I was doing some stuff on the computer, and Logan walked up to me and said "Look at my forehead mom". (Meaning his hair). And I said "ooh" and touched it and he said "Don't touch it!" Hilarious. Gotta love the 'do!!

The other day, Jake and I were sitting around and all of the sudden, Logan said "Your room is right above mine and I can hear EVERYTHING!" I started to laugh so hard and I said "Like what?" And he said "The TV! It's really loud." Phew!

February Catch Up

2011-02-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Update: Ok, so when I first published this post (earlier today) I failed to mention Valentine's Day! Ha...maybe because it was THAT memorable. Jake and I decided not to go anywhere or get each other anything, because he had just bought me a new phone (since I dropped mine and broke it!) Cupid, however, stopped by and gave the kids some cute surprises. I'm not really sure why I didn't take any pictures, but happy heart day anyway!

Man, February has really been a crazy month. We've had a lot going on. Tyson had his Blue and Gold banquet for scouts. He got a TON of awards and is now a Webelo. He still really enjoys scouts, which I think is great. I'm starting to get a hang of it and how it works. I'll be a pro by the time little Grayson is a scout!

Also this month, I injured my knee and found out that I have a tear in my medial meniscus and my lateral meniscus. I will need to get a scope (surgery), but thankfully nothing too invasive. I hear the recovery time isn't too long and usually patients feel instant relief right after surgery! (Let's cross our fingers). I think since I do have so much going on right now, I will not get the surgery until the end of the summer. I went to dance today, and it was pretty painful, but I will continue to dance, regardless!

Speaking of dance...Brecklyn had "bring your dad to dance week" at dance last week. Jake was a real trooper and went to her ballet and jazz classes. I was SO impressed. If you know him, you know that he must really love his daughter if he danced. And no, it wasn't just observation...they actually had to dance with their kids. I went and watched for a couple of minutes and it was the cutest thing I think I've ever seen! You can go to my FB page to check out the videos. They are absolutely adorable!

THE man, Tyson, hit a milestone on the 20th, by turning the big 1-0!! I can't believe I have a son in the double digits. He's so mature and wise beyond those 10 years, but it's still unbelievable. For his birthday, he had a late night party with a bunch of kids. They played games, ate junk food, and watched a movie. He had a great time. Then on Sunday, we had my parents over for dinner and cake. My mom and dad bought him an electric scooter...which I may end up using more than him, ha ha! My brother has the same one and it is SO much fun to ride. Last summer, I rode it around when I was pregnant with Grayson. He also got money from Jake and me, Jake's parents and my grandparents. So he went shopping with my dad and bought some Toms (shoes). He wanted to get shoes just like his dad. There was even an artist at Nordstrom who painted skulls on them, so they're one-of-a-kind. Pretty cool! Unfortunately, he called me from school today (very disappointed) and told me that everyone at school was making fun of his shoes and calling them girl shoes. I felt SO bad for him. He was so excited to wear them, only to be shot down. 4th grade is such a hard age. All of that bullying and name-calling starts at that age. I can't wait for Jr. High...ahh! Scarry! But, Tyson's a great kid and just ahead of the trends at his school! Just wait, all the kids will be wearing them...in 2 years!

Tyson hit another milestone when he babysat for Jake and me while we went on our first date without Grayson (since he was born!!) It was fabulous! We just went to dinner, but we timed it perfectly, by putting Grayson to bed before we left. He didn't wake up and the other kids were really cooperative for Tyson. He even got them bathed! It was probably the highlight of my year! I was very nervous to leave them, and probably called to check on them about every 15 minutes...but so wonderful!!

Yesterday, for President's Day, we went to the Gateway Children's Museum...along with the rest of the state of Utah! It would have been a lot more fun, but it was just so crowded! It was nice just being together as a family, though. The kids love when Jake can just take a day off!

It'll be another busy weekend for us, as Brecklyn has her first competition of the season on Saturday. Tyson also has another basketball game! I'll do my best to keep up this dusty blog :)

Dance All Day

2011-02-04T22:27:00.000-08:00

Today I was in dancer heaven. I was invited to the taping of So You Think You Can Dance, thanks to my friend Allison. It was so much fun being in the audience and watching all of the amazing dancers! We were even given special treatment, because a guy that was with us (to watch his girlfriend audition) just had knee surgery, so we got to wait inside and were the first ones seated in the auditorium, just behind the dancers. So, just so ya know...I'm famous now, because you may just catch a glimpse of me on the show (ha ha!) It was really eye opening for me to see just how brutal those auditions are. People who I thought were pretty good dancers were getting cut right and left. You pretty much have to be perfect to get straight through to Vegas, and extremely good (or have a great 'story') to get through to choreography. I saw one of my former students, but she didn't make it past the first round :( I thought that she seemed extremely nervous. However, another one of my former students was put straight through to Vegas (but didn't try out in SLC, so I didn't see her audition). I know she'll sail through Vegas. AHHH! It makes me so excited for her!! I went and visited her at her work yesterday and she told me all about it. I just can't wait! I'm not supposed to say anything about it, so I'm not going to mention her name on here...but I will once I get the green light :)

Anyway, after that, I came home and got Brecklyn ready for her performance tonight. She made me proud, as usual. This year she is doing a lyrical dance, which she never did at the Vibe. I have to say that she is like her mama, in that she's stronger in lyrical. She has an amazing ability to extend every movement through the slow music. She has a little solo in their routine and has been SO EXCITED to perform it. She's been practicing it ever since she came home from dance the day she found out she'd be doing it. It's really short, but she does a pirouette and so we've been working on making it perfect. And tonight she stuck that pirouette like a little pro! Logan is her biggest cheerleader. He kept screaming "Go Brecklyn!" It is so adorable, and I absolutely LOVE how my kids support each other in their extra curricular stuff.

All in all I had such a great day! Except the horrible moment when I dropped my phone. Yes, my phone is broken, so if I haven't answered your texts...you know why! I can still receive calls, but can't make them, since there is a blank white screen. I'm so sad! Now, I have no brain, but Jake said he'd get me a new one tomorrow...not bran, phone...ha ha!

Baby Talk

2011-01-28T14:44:00.001-08:00

So Grayson started saying "da da" the other day. I know he has no idea what it means, and it's probably what all other babies say at this age...but I love it anyway!

Eva's Story

2011-01-28T14:17:00.000-08:00

Tyson read my grandma's biography for his book report this month. For his project, he did a children's book. I think he did a great job and I'm so happy that he learned more about Omi. She's such a sweet and amazing lady!

Cheeseheads!

2011-01-23T21:55:00.000-08:00

Betcha can't tell who we're cheering for on Superbowl Sunday!!

Catch Up

2011-01-20T20:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I just realized I haven't blogged in 20 days...that's probably a new record for me! I guess we've been busy, so I'll just catch up really quick...

New Years came and went and I am excited to start fresh! I didn't sit down and write myself a list of resolutions this year, like I normally do. I think I just want to keep going with the goals I have already set for myself. At this point I already feel enough pressure, so I don't feel I need to write a list of things I should do and haven't done. I think I'll just end up letting myself down! So, for now I'm gonna keep on keepin' on! (I guess that's my new years resolution...to stop letting my perfectionist self get the most of me and RELAX a bit more...Miss Uptight!)

We jumped back in to school and I am doing choreography for Tyson's school musical (Alice in Wonderland). So far it is going ok...I don't have many trained dancers to work with, but I'm doing the best with what I've got. Tyson loves having his mom part of something he is doing.

I am also in charge of our ward's road show. Thankfully, we have some amazing youth in our ward and two of the girls volunteered to help...one is doing the choreography and the other is writing the script. So...I can pretty much sit back and relax (not really, but it sure takes a load off!)

Tyson started Jr. Jazz and is liking it. He only knows one other kid on his team (but not very well) so I think he feels a little out of his element. But I think once he gets to know his teammates a bit better he'll have a ton of fun.

Brecklyn is gearing up for competition/performance season with dance. We've been busily buying all the elements needed for that...makeup, hair stuff, dance shoes and tights...etc. Jake absolutely LOVES it! He knows nothing else he'd rather spend his money on right now (ha ha!) Yes, it is definitely a topic of our arguments lately..."She needs what? I thought we just bought her that??!!" Oh, the joys of dance!

Logan and Grayson don't have much going on, besides being the cutest little boys I know!

Here's a new "Logi-ism" for you: "Mom, I cut the bread wif a knife and WOW I didn't even chop my fingers off!" He kills me!

This past Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. day, so we had an awesome 4-day weekend and spent it up at the cabin. It was the best trip we've taken up there so far. All of Jake's family were up there, except Chad so it was a party! We played the game 'signs' about 50 times (it's so addicting). And the best part was my G-man! I think he has turned a new leaf! The first day he was playing and having a great time and then started to fuss, so I layed him down for a nap and he fell right to sleep and was a little angel. He took 3 naps that day and I thought it was maybe a fluke. But to my surprise he did that every day we were up there. At night, he slept better than he's ever slept! And when he was awake...he was nothing but pure joy. I was in new mommy heaven! And he's continued his sweetness. FINALLY, I think my lil man is getting out of his yucky colic/reflux/fussy phase! I don't want to jinx myself, so I won't talk about it anymore...but has been really nice!

The kids enjoyed sledding on a cool sledding hill and the adults cruised up the hill on the razor and rode down on their snowboards! Such a fun way to get out of that January slump!

6 Months Already?!

2010-12-30T15:01:00.000-08:00

Grayson is six months old today! I really can't believe it! Time flies so fast these days and I feel like he's gonna be in school before I know it. I'm trying really hard to keep him little. The other day I had to go through his closet and pull out all of his clothes that don't fit. It made me so sad. I planned on just giving all of his clothes to Rachel, but there are a few things I just can't get myself to part with. I even found myself giving his shoes a kiss goodbye. Pathetic, I know...

Anyway, here are his 6 month stats:

Height: 26 3/4 inches=64th percentile

Weight: 16.5 lbs.=34th percentile

Head: 17.5 inches=71st percentile

So...not much has changed proportionately...he's long and "skinny" (but, I really beg to differ...but maybe most of his weight is in his big fat head, ha ha!)

He's a lot more interested in toys and was given a lot of toys that make plenty of noise for Christmas. He recently discovered that he could squeal like a pig and does this relentlessly all.day.long! He HATES baby food and will not eat it, no matter what it is. He does, however, LOVE mashed potatoes and devours them. He mimics me quite a bit with the word "oh" and "hi". I love his voice and have captured just that sweet sound on my phone. He gnaws on just about anything, but loves my hand the most. He has MAJOR 'stranger danger' (still) and doesn't really like anyone, but me...and sometimes Jake. We still haven't gone on a date without him, but it's fine. He's just another appendage of mine, at this point :) He's intrigued by our dogs, Cookie and Raven and loves it when I vacuum. He could be crying hysterically, but once I turn it on, he's consumed! It's hilarious. He's sitting up pretty well and rolls from his tummy to his back. He can roll from his back to his tummy, but doesn't do it much...why would he? He hates being on his tummy!

Anyway, he's our little bundle of joy and I'm so thankful for him in our lives.

With eyes and lips like those, how can I ever resist this guy??

Chef Logan

2010-12-29T19:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight Logan wanted to help me make dinner. I gladly obliged. He said, "Mom, I need a chef hat". So, since we didn't have one, he came up with one on his own, made out of a brown paper bag. You can imagine how it looked...

We made The Biggest Loser black bean burritos. They are so yummy and only have 200 calories! Logan also had some funny things to say while we were cooking away...

"Mom, you're such a good chef. You should be a chef at a 'sesturant'. Maybe you could work at Chick-fil-a". (I definitely giggled at that one).

If you can't tell, Logan cracks me up! He has this magical ability to make people smile. I've said that ever since he was a baby. And random strangers say stuff like that to me all the time. He's so special and I love him so much!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2010 was wonderful! We spent Christmas Eve at both grandparent's houses. It's not always easy splitting the time between families, but I don't think we'd wanna miss out on the fun of either house!

Jake's family always does a white elephant gift exchange (but they're decent gifts, not ghetto white elephants). Jake and I ended up with the gifts we brought... ha ha! Then we opened presents from Bryan and Arden. They always spoil us and the kids. My favorite gift was the popcorn maker. We've always wanted one! It's so fun for the kids too.

My parents always have a traditional German meal...roladen, red cabbage and other yummy fixin's. It was soooo delicious! Then we have the kids perform the nativity. This year Logan insisted that he was Joseph (and not Tyson). So my mom asked him who Tyson should be and he said "hmm, maybe Harry Potter". So, there ya go...Tyson was Harry Potter. HA! Grayson started the night as Santa and ended as baby Jesus. Even though my parents kindly put new tires on my car, they still managed to sneak in some awesome gifts for us, including a blue ray player. And of course our kids had more presents than they could count!

Christmas morning was a repeat of gifting. Then we went to IHOP and had breakfast...our little family tradition that we started when Ty was about 3 or so. The kids get a kick out of giving a big tip to the waitress. I think Tyson is starting to realize how fun it is to give, rather than receive. He said "It makes you feel so good inside when you give, mom". I agree.

It was another great Christmas. I hate when this season ends. I feel like it's always such a mad rush to get everything done and then it comes in a flash, and is gone. I try to explain what Christmas is really about to my children. And I hope that they understand it and appreciate everything that they have been blessed with, including a wonderful family, amazing friends, the opportunity to live in the greatest town in the greatest state in the greatest country in the world!...to have the health and strong bodies we have, and to have each other!!

Merry Christmas!