Updating!!!!

I have been trying to do some serious updating. I have so many fun pics and so many fun things have happened that I didn't want to miss getting them on here (especially if I really intend on printing this off into a book). Below are SEVERAL posts. Hopefully tomorrow I can get Sarah's cute birthday stuff on here and I will be caught up, cuz life doesn't slow down. Caden's starting Soccer, Easter, Hannah's birthday, spring break, Scott and I are going on a trip, and on and on.

The Ones I love

Every Valentine's day Scott and I try to do something really fun and special for the kids. We normally have a box out where they can leave each other love notes throughout the month, then on Valentines day we read each other the notes. The kids really love this and it is a great time to talk about love and caring without the kids thinking we are just lecturing.

In addition to all the Love notes we made this year, I also had the kids make their own place mats because I couldn't find any ( I was willing to pay for anyway.) I loved Caden's place mat up there in the left hand corner where he wrote, "kiss me"

The kids always choose shrimp when we do any kind of holiday meal. They especially like the shrimp because Daddy taught them to make it look like hearts. Pink root beer floats were also a big hit this year. Scott and I tried out lobster tail for the first time.

The beautiful table setting is also very important. The kids felt so important that we had everything so nice for them!

Shots of my cute kids enjoying the day. I love the picture of my sweet Hannah setting the table!

P.S. Click on each collage to see it bigger!

Green Day

St. Patrick's dat also happens to be Sarah's birthday, so I always find it a challenge to throw in some fun activities for the holiday without taking away from Sarah's big day. Now that Caden is in school, it gets harder. See, all the other kids have leprechauns that visit them and leave candy or messes. We were lucky enough that while I was out ALL day doing fun birthday stuff with Sarah, a pesky little leprechaun turned our milk green and all the toilet water. Caden was satisfied! Throughout the week, we did do a few fun activities.

French toast with buttermilk syrup recipe I got from a friend. This was a huge hit.

(One of my friends has an awesome blog where she posts some awesome holiday activities here)

We had a coin hunt.

For family night, I put our whole lesson divided up into different bags. They had to find clovers which were numbered and draw out of the corresponding bag (I hid clovers in 3 differnt rooms so that each kid would get their own room to search in ensuring that each one would get a number that corresponded with each bag. We have to be totally fair around here.) Some bags had songs, some stories or scriptures , but some lucy bags had money or candy! The kids LOVED this and now when we have Family home evening Hannah says, "where are the bags with the candy and money?"

It was my turn to teach preschool and we had a really fun green day! Look at all those cute girls in green! It was so much fun.

We had a little Green tea party which was a big hit. Everything was green, including the ice cubes. The girls even ate green peppers.

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Transformation!!!

I really wanted Sarah to move back into the room with Hannah. She wasn't too keen on the idea so it took some bribing. I told her that we would redo the room and paint it if she would move back in. She really wanted PINK...and I wasn't too keen on that idea! With the help of Scott and some very creative friends, however, I put down the green paint swatches I WANTED, and loaded up on a variety of pink samples (since I DID tell Sarah that painting the room was a prize for moving in, I guess letting her have an input on the color was only fair).

It is hard choosing colors!

To be safe, I got 6 different samples.

We began the painting. I even got tiny little rollers so the girls could help.

Scott's mom is a super speedy painter. We had the whole room done before Caden even got home from school.

Sarah teaches her baby how to climb that latter.

By the end of the night we had the room painted, tape pulled, and bed back in their place.

Thank you so much to Grandma Smith and to those who stopped by with creative inspiration!!!

I will post better pictures later of the finished room.

Spellers

Caden did really well at the school spelling bee. The top three spellers were chosen from every class to go on to the school spelling bee. Caden studied really hard all week. The second grade words were really tough

tilapia, lasagna, chipotle, physics, mystery, umbrella...just to name a few!

Caden only knew about 40 of the 75 words so when the day came we were hoping that all his hard work (and a lot of luck) would pay off.

I had to be there all day long as around advisor so I saw Caden that morning when he came in for the all school assembly in the gym. He told me he was so nervous! I was so nervous for him.

Here are the three kids from his class that made it into the bee.

Scott was a judge in the afternoon so we had lunch with Caden on our break.

He told Scott that he couldn't go out and play because he was nervous.

When the moment came though, he did awesome. He seemed so cool and confidant up there.

He made it through several rounds, but as luck would have it, when it came time to pull words out of the 2nd grade bag, he got one I hadn't studied with him. "GUITAR " He left out the U.

We are so proud of him! He has learned a lot of new words and gained a really fun life experience!

Daddy gives him a hug. 9 he was quite crushed for a few hours that he got out. We took him out to dinner that night and by the next day he was happy as can be.)

Our new pet

Hannah has been telling us for a while now that she wants a pet bird like the one that's at the library.

Well, this little Robin must have heard her plea, and is trying so hard to fulfill that wish.

And he's very persistent at it!!!! Like, 5 days persistent!

Dear little bird, Don't you know that Hannah is VERY tired of you ramming into our windows 150+ times a day. She has yelled at you to "GO AWAY" several times.

Please, if anyone knows anything about crazy robins, do share....unless your response is that it is just chasing its own reflection and the only solution is to cover the window with paper (that is what the fish and Game told me, as well as the Birds of Prey). First of all, This little Robin makes its way around to ALL our windows. He starts of with one window and after realizing he can't get into that one, he moves on to the next. He's got 4 or 5 windows he works on the most. I can't possibly cover u all those windows. Zamzows has recommended some shiny tape, I think I can handle that.

When our little friend is resting from all the crashing he's doing, he sits right there on the bench on our front porch and watches me while I'm on the computer. It's starting to freak me out!! When Caden came home from school yesterday he started going crazy and ramming into the family room window where we were at. Is this bird trying to deliver a message?!? Does anyone speak robin?

Shadow of our Robin trying to get into the guest bedroom.

This is the 5th day. I don't know what to do. The robin is trying to break into our guest bedroom as we speak.....aaaaghhh!!!!!

Happy Anniversary!!!

Scott and I just celebrated our 9 year anniversary!

I feel so blessed that I get to share my life with him, my best friend. It has been an amazing nine years and I look forward to many more fun adventures.

I love you Scott!!!

Five (it's the greatest thing around)

I can' t believe that I brought this little bundle of energy home 5 years ago!! (St Patrick's day)

Five is so big (that is what Sarah thinks)! Since he turned five, she has a new confidence. She often says, "oh, I can do that because I am five now."

Sarah's new sun glasses she picked out for her birthday.

We had such a fun day and I hope to catch up on it the next week.

Spelling's on the mind!!!!

G-O-O-D L-U-C-K

Caden!

Spelling has been a big part of our family for the pat few months. I have been helping on the spelling bee committee for our schools PTA for the past month or so, so the kids have heard a lot about words, kits (that never came), meetings, bulletin boards, BEES!!!! As the spelling bee has gotten closer, Caden has practiced, PRACTICED, p-r-a-c-t-i-c-e-d his first grade words (and 2nd, man those are tough). After participating in his class spelling bee, he made it to the school spelling bee which takes place TOMORROW!!! He is so excited and we are so proud of his hard work.

Sarah is preparing for her chance to shine in two years!

Sarah has caught on to all this spelling. At night Sarah always asks me to have a "spelling bee" with her. I tell her a word and she spells it. One night, she had me tell her words and she wrote them, then she wrote different words and I had to read them. Here are some of the words she wrote for me to read. (just incase it is difficult to decipher her "spelling" above, correct spelling listed below)

9. please

10. stop

11. star

12. sew

13. three

14. tired

15. heart

exit

I have really enjoyed this whole experience with the spelling bee because it has really gotten the kids excited about spelling/learning.

I hope this excitement sticks around long after the spelling bee is over.

I guess it was just our turn!

Scott has been stitching up A LOT of kids lately. Someone asked me the other day if he had ever had to stitch up any of our kids. I told him he never had, and what do you know, Hannah decides to give it a try. She asked Daddy to pull her around on a blanket and Daddy went a little too fast and she slid off right into the end table....OUCH!!! We took her into Scott's office and we managed to get one stitch in.

She is so peaceful while she's sleeping.

Not so happy!!! Hannah got ONE stitch where she should have had three. After having the needle yanked out several times from so much thrashing around and the sterile string falling to the ground, Scott decided to leave the one stitch and finish it off with steri strips. I sure hope that Hannah's extreme headstrong personality does her good some day.

She forgave Daddy after he gave her suckers and stickers.

How do you choose just one!?!??

A few weeks ago when the sun first poked out and became the first of many beautiful days, Scott came home from work early and we took the kids to our favorite spot, Camel's Back park. I got so many fun pics of the kids. Because we hadn't been outside (without huge coats on) in such a long time I went a little crazy! Here is what I have narrowed it down to.

I don't know why I take so many shadow pics lately.

Hannah tries to sneak in a free ride up the hill.

Caden enjoys the view. He loves this place!

Gets a chance to use his camera.

Sarah's favorite part is running down the hills.

Caden's trying to muster up the courage to cross the log with the encouragement of his sisters.

Picture of Caden for his Navy seal application....do you think he could get in with that look?

Hannah is terrified of walking on anything with holes or cracks. She thinks she is going to fall through.

We love you sun!!!!!