Hawaii!

OK, I am off to paradise. We will be staying here...
in a house on Hanalei Bay! Our backyard is a private beach. I am so excited. Everyone wish us luck for a 8 hour plane experience with Gracie!

CAN"T WAIT!!!

we leave in the morning!

We love uncle Steve!

Uncle Stevie came over a couple of days ago with his girlfriend Vanessa. We really really really love her and hope that she is "The ONE". She is so sweet and considerate and is the cutest girl ever. Hopefully we will have a wedding in the near future. The kids absolutely love her!

The kiddo's and uncle Stevo!

Aren't they the cutest couple!

Fun in the Sun

We have been having so much fun swimming this summer. My kids love to be in the sun and to be outside. Here are just a couple of the fun things we have done.

Last week I had to drive to Pocatello to pick up a desk I found there so we went to a fun little water park with Laura and her kids.

Emma, Davey, Cayden and Gracie

Savannah, Emma and Cayden. Savannah will never pose for pictures so this was a rare occasion!

My cute little sister Laura!

Last week we got to go to my friend Stephanie's house for a play date. The kids played on the slip and slide and in the pool. They had a great time.

My three kiddo's


Savannah, Emma, Addy, Eliza, Hallie, and Cayden

Cayden and Hallie. Cayden loves her. When we were getting ready to go he came and asked to help him find a shirt that would look really good with his shorts He said "mom, I have to look good for Hallie." He's so funny!


Thursday we got to go to Seven Peaks with our favorite people. Aimee brought her kids and we had a blast.

Riley, Emma, Avery, and Cayden

My best friend Aimee, and our kids!I seriously love her and am going to miss her so much.

My attempt to get a picture of all three kids. I love Cayden's face.

My cute little buddies.

Cayden and Taytin, best buds from Church.

Me and my cute kiddo's, can you tell that Gracie has had it. We took this right before leaving and she was so ready to go.

Rachael and Becca came with us to help with the kids. They were so much fun.

Fathers Day

We had a great and laid back Fathers day this year. We had just moved the day before so we were still in a little bit of craziness. The kids and I made Chuck breakfast and then we went to church. Church was wonderful, and the talks on fathers were so good. Then after Church I made a very good lunch, I don't remember what I made, but trust me, it was good. We gave daddy our presents. Cards that the kids picked out, Reese's pieces, and homemade gifts. Cayden's gift is to take daddy golfing, Emma is going to take him to get a snow cone, and I got him a much needed massage. We had a great time celebrating our Daddy!

Chuck and his 3 angels!

had to put this in here, she is such a sweetheart!

Emma was so excited to give daddy her card and treat!

Cayden's card is so cute! He said it looked just like him and Daddy!
After our celebration we were able to go to my dad's for dinner and had a great time!

Family Reunion

This year for my family reunion we went up to Island Park in Idaho. Gracie got sick the day we were supposed to leave so we missed the Yellowstone day. I was sad cause we missed seeing Beauty and the Beast at the playhouse theater there. The kids would have loved it. As it turned out I got sick while we were there and after the reunion like 15 of my cousins and family got sick from us. I felt so bad. Anyway, while we were there we had a lot of fun. The day we got there we went dirt biking and four wheeling. Went hiking, and out to lunch at Mack's! I got sick that afternoon, and was in bed for the big dinner. Then after dinner we had a testimony meeting. Sunday we went down to IF for my cousin Jake's homecoming. He just got home from his mission the day before the reunion. It was so good to see him again.

our family on the hike!

Quinny, Becca and Rachael

Love this picture of Rachael

Rachael and Emma

My cousin Heidi and her husband Brandon, Brandon and Chuck LOVE each other!

The boys. Cody, Brandon, Chuck, Brandon and Benny

Cute little super hero Davey

Ben, Cody, Brandon, Rachael, and Chelsey

Cayden and Emma on the hike

All of us!!!


Ron and Mommy
We had so much fun and it was so nice to be able to go, this will be our last reunion for a while and we will really miss going to them every year. My family is really close and we always have so much fun together!

When I grow up!

I asked Emma today, "What do you want to be when you grow up Emma?"

Emma- "A fairy"

Me- "oh that sounds fun, what kind of fairy do you think that you will be?"

Emma- "Tinkerbell"

Me- "And what kind of jobs do you think you will do when you are tinkerbell."

Emma- "The floors, I think I will clean the floors like Cinderella."

Hawaii countdown

only 8 more days until I am laying out on the beach!!! Hense my new wallpaper. I can't wait!!! I really need a vacation after this move.

The Men in my life!!

I am a little late on my fathers day post, but I wanted to say Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful fathers in my life...

First and foremost... My wonderful husband- You are the best father I could ever ask for, for my kids. You are fun, loving, smart, active, patient, adventurous, creative, and best of all a good example. I am so grateful they have a father who holds and honors the priesthood power that he has been given. Thank you for loving our kids more than you love yourself, and always sacrificing so much for all of us.

My "Other" Dad... I always think of Ron as my dad. He has raised me in my testimony of the gospel and taught me so much of love and Sacrifice. He has always been there for me no matter what I have needed... blessings, love, advice, even financial help. Thanks Ron for always being an example of service and love, and for loving us as your own, and never once complaining about all that you have had to do for us. I love you so much.

My Dad- The best thing I can say about my dad is that he has always believed in me. He has always told me that I could do anything. Thanks dad for always believing in me. He has also taught me not to judge others, I have never felt judged of criticized by him.

Chuck's Dad- Bill, I love your guts. You are so funny, and I love to tease you. I love the way you love my kids, and play with them. I love that when you give us advice it is because you care so much, and you only want the best for all of us. Thanks for your constant love and support, and sharing of your baseball skills with Cayden!

I am also so grateful that my sister has married such a wonderful man. Thank's Dave for being a great daddy to my little niece and nephew that I love so much. I am so grateful to know Laura is being taken care of, and that you also honor your priesthood in your home.

Put me in my Place!!

So I was humbled by my daughter today. I have been really stressed with moving and had a lot on my plate lately. Plus the day before our move I started my period so I have been cramping and moody for the past 3 days. Any way those are my excuses, even though there really isn't any excuse for treating my kids badly. I have been really snappy with them the past week, it seems whenever I am really stressed and busy I get really snappy. Well This morning we were late for church because the kids kept ignoring me and weren't doing what I was asking them to do so I was really frustrated. On the way to church I was lecturing the kids about obeying mom and I wasn't talking very lovingly. In the sweetest little voice ever Emma says, "Excuse me mommy." I said, "What Emma." And my sweet little four year old says "Mom, you are always telling us that you are trying so hard to be a good mommy, and that you need Jesus to help you everyday. Well, you are kind of throwing a fit, and I think you need Jesus to help you right now." I first started laughing, and then felt so humbled that my daughter would recognize that I needed Jesus' help when I wasn't even recognizing it. I love the faith of children, it is so simple to them. I instatly prayed for forgiveness for not treating my kids as I should, and asked that my Savior would help me to be more patient and more loving. I am always telling Cayden that he needs to ask the Savior to help him control his temper. I have promised him so many times that if he will pray for this daily, that he will be strengthened and will have help from Jesus. Well maybe I need to take my own advice and pray that I can control my temper with my kids. I have tried so hard to help my kids understand how to apply the atonement in their lives, as part of their lives daily. Not just as some abstract concept. I try to help them understand that we are not only forgiven of our sins through the atonement, but that we can be strengthened, lifted and carried. That we can truly be more than we are. I know that when I don't have the spirit with me I feel like I am nothing. I'm not a good mom, friend, wife or anything when I don't have the spirit. But the times that I am walking side by side with the Savior and I have the Spirit as my companion I feel like I am truly made to be more than I am. It's really humbling to realize that I suck on my own. And it's really humbling to have my four year old remind me of this. How grateful I am that she would think of this though, and lovingly remind me that I need Jesus, just as I remind her everyday.

Moving Day!!!

OK! Today is the day! We are moving out of our house. We are moving into my moms for 6 weeks before we go to Bloomington so we can rent our house out. We found the best renters, but needed to be out by June 20, so we are going back to mom's house. How wonderful, I am 27 and living with my mom again! My family is actually already in Hawaii, and we meet them there in 2 weeks for a week and a half, then we only have 4 weeks before we move when we will all be here, so hopefully it wont be that bad. I am having mixed emotions about moving. Surprisingly I am not sad at all about leaving my house. I have been so grateful for our home and really enjoyed living there. But it is just a house, it's just stuff, my home is where my family is.

But I am really going to miss our ward and my friends. One of my best friends and neighbor Kendra moved to Texas on Monday, I will really miss her a lot, but she is already gone too. Aimee is my best friend and I am so so so sad to not live by her anymore. Seriously, you really find out who your friends are in times like this. People who I would have thought would at least offer to help a little, have not helped at all. But Aimee has been my saving grace. I am so grateful for her right now. Chuck has been so busy finishing his dissertation that he couldn't take any time off to help me pack up the house, so I was gonna have to do it all by myself. Aimee has come over every day for 2 weeks and helped me get ready. And this week she has litteraly been at my house all day, everyday helping me. Her baby is freaking out and so is mine, but she was still there every morning, ready to help, without being asked.

I am seriously so grateful for friends like this in my life. I don't know what I would do without her. She has been such an example of service to me. She is always there ready to help whenever I need anything, without me ever needing to ask her. She has cooked, cleaned, babysat, given advice, cried with me, laughed with me, and always loved me. I am really, really going to miss her. But I know that we will be friends forever!

Well my kids are awake so it is time for me to head down to our house and pack up the truck! Wish us luck. Next time I post I will officially be homeless!

living in complete Chaos

I am so sick of living in chaos. My house in in upheaval. We are moving in 2 days and I am going CRAZY!!! There are boxes all over the place and my kids are crazy cause they are getting no time with me, I am just packing all day. I will be happy when this move is over.

My sad empty house!

Boxes everywhere. But don't you love my new office chair.



Would you want to live like this, I don't think so!!!

The anatomy of a swing!

Cayden started T-ball this week. He was so cute in his uniform. He was good at soccer, but wasn't really the best or the worst on the team. He was pretty average. But he really is so good at baseball. He has some really natural talent. Chuck's family is really in to baseball, especially Bill, Chuck's dad. So they would all love it if Cayden played. That is always what his uncles practice with him when they come over and play with him.

Cayden, waiting to go to bat!

Cayden and Taytin, they have been best buds since we moved here 4 years ago.

Cayden was the only kid who had the correct bating stance, probably cause his grandpa and uncles keep drilling it into him. I loved looking at these pictures later cause it just shows how serious Cayden is about this. His first hit he popped over all the kids into the outfield. After that whenever Cayden came up to bat the other coach would say "K kids this is their Heavy hitter, everyone move out." Chuck and I were so proud that the coach called him the "Heavy Hitter." Funny, the silly things that make us swell with pride for our kids! Anyway I had to put in the progression of his hit, I love his facial expressions.

We are very serious about this. Get into the correct stance.
Start the swing
Hard as you can!
Keep your eye on the ball!
Smack!
Yeah, I did it!
I am so excited to see him grow and progress this season!

Dance!

I put Emma in a dance program for the summer. She has been begging me to take dance again ever since I had her in last year. She was so excited to start. Yesterday was her first day and she had so much fun. I stayed and watched her class and I was so impressed with the teacher. She was so creative and so good with the kids. Emma loved her and had so much fun. I'm glad she gets to do something like this before we move. I hope I can find a good, affordable dance studio for her in Bloomington!

Doing her kicks! We need to work on pointing our toes.

Emma's graduation!

Emma had the cutest program and preschool graduation this year. They did a bunch of nursery rhyme songs and each of them got to pick a part to play and we made a costume for their part. Of coarse Emma was the only child who wanted to play 2 parts. So I got to make a kitten and a birdie costume for her. She was so cute and did such a great job. I have loved her preschool and her teacher this year. She has learned, developed, and blossomed so much this year.

Emma's kitten costume. She's so cute.
Cayden was so excited to come and watch her program.
Her birdie costume. I love the headband I made for it. I also had a feather tail for her, but she wouldn't wear it.
Her bird song said "He shook his little tail, and far away he flew." She got to come up to the front and Shake her little bum every time it said that in the song. This is the face she would get every time she did it and she shook it so cute. Everyone was laughing cause she looked so adorable.
Getting her "diploma" from Mrs. Daniels
Our little family
Emma's best friend at school, Isabella!
My mom and Becca came to see her program. They had just flown in from Israel a few hours earlier, so they were exhausted. I was so grateful they still came, it meant a lot to Emma.