Tyler's pen pal and Ella's field trip

Tyler has been writing to a pen pal for the last several months. He is a little boy at one of the other Elementary schools here in town. The two schools decided that it would be fun for the kids to meet at one of the parks and meet each other. After all of the introductions were made the kids were supposed to go off and play with their pen pal. The only problem with that was that Tyler's pen pal did not want to play with Tyler. Finally after Tyler chasing the kid around for 20 minutes I told him to just go and play with another one of the kids. Tyler really enjoyed writing back and forth with the little boy but wasn't that impressed with him when he met him. Ella of course got to go and have lunch with Tyler and his pen pal too.That same day Ella got to go on her very first field trip. They took the bus down the road to the community garden (first it was like a mile away but the kids loved riding the bus. Second we have a community garden in Mountain Home. Who knew.) and they got to play games and plant seeds. The kids planted green beans. I am unsure what happens to the food that the kids plant but they all enjoyed planting it. Ella said that she loved the whole thing.Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries without any warning 2 shots into the whole day. I was so bummed. But I did get a picture of Ella leaping like a frog to the cones and back. And a picture of Ella standing in line for her turn. Nope none of her playing the other games or actually planting the one seed they gave her to plant.

The girls spring concerts

This week the girls had their spring music concert at the school. It is awfully convenient that they hold both the band concert and the choir concert on the same day. It is also the perfect length of time too. Each plays for about 15-20 minutes. I am so impressed with how much the girls skills have grown. Natalie is getting really good at playing her saxophone and Nichole is now able to read a note and find it with her voice. I never learned how to do that. The pictures are a very poor quality but, I am happy just to have them on here. And I didnt want to bring my big camera so its my own fault.

baby shower

Last Saturday my friend Heather and I threw a baby shower for our friends Kori (who is having a little boy) and Jamie(who is having a little girl). We held it at a pizza place here in town. It was so fun. I really enjoy putting gatherings together. I made chocolate Carmel cupcakes. And Heather made an almond Carmel cupcake. Both I think turned out delicious.This is the diaper cake that I made for Jamie. And one of the last ones I will ever make.This is the diaper cake I made for Kori, the last one that I will ever make.The table setting. We took bottles and tied a ribbon around them. Then filled them with either water, lemonade, or diet Pepsi. We made white chocolate popcorn and had a couple jars of candy for the ladies to snack on. We also decorated with a baby picture of both Kori and Jamie.

We played a mad libs game that put Jamie having a 1,997 lb. baby. We also played guess what kind of candy bar is melted into the diaper. We also had a purse scavenger hunt where if they had a certain idem in their purse it was worth a certain amount of points. Then you add them up and whoever gets the most points wins. I had a great time. I hope they do too. Kori and I also wish you to have this baby anytime now.

When I look at my daughter I see myself...only better.

Look at my beautiful girls! I love them!

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child.

My mom is an wonderful example to me as what a mother should be like. You did an amazing job raising me and my 3 siblings. I have so many wonderful memories with you. I remember going outside and picking cherries on the cherry tree with you. I remember when you would take us to the park numberless times during the summer. I remember you helping me get wet clothes off after playing outside so long during the winter months. I remember your threats of spankings (with wooden spoons) and your knuckle sandwiches. And my favorite (which you still do to this day) you say to us "come over here so that I can kick ya" Um hello mom, ok, I am on my way.

I admire you for teaching us to love everyone no matter who they are. And accepting people even if you don't agree with them. you taught us that we were all equals. you taught me how to tie my shoe and how to sew (kind of not because you didn't try just because I am still not very good). You taught me how to cook and clean and how to fold laundry.

You patiently helped me homework and last minute school projects. Which weren't really last minutes I just put them off for that long. you helped me learn how to read and count money. I always love how you squeeze our hands 1-2-3 (I love you) and how you reaches behind the seat of the car and gives us a squeeze on the leg to let you know you loves us. Which was pretty traumatic for Rock's friend Mike when you accidentally grabbed his leg instead of Rocks. oops!

I have fond memories of having Hawaii day and watching Elvis in Blue Hawaii. Have western day, and fiesta's and many many more. We always had food to go along with the theme and watched a movie. You always bought us some kind of costume to wear too.

I remember when Natalie was born and you beaming because you got to carry her down to the nursery. You got to hold her before I did. And how much strength that you had to watch your husband go through Chemotherapy and radiation. You were a rock! The love that you have as you have watched us one by one leave the house and relocate. Some of us farther away from others. Your endless support with each one of my decisions that I have to make in life. Your love that you have for each one of your grand kids and how you always make time for girl talk or for Skipbo. I admire your endless patience with them. Even when they are all demanding of your time.

I love how your favorite word is S#!t (s#!t describes everything... That smells like... that looks like... I feel like...) and how when you say it around my kids you apologize to them and say to not repeat it. Most importantly you have taught me what a good friend is because you are the best friend that I could of asked for. I love you mom!

I had a spectacular mother's day this year. Nate got me these beautiful flowers. Natalie asked me "How did he keep them alive on the plane". We both laughed when she realized that they really didn't come all of the way from Iraq. She made me a necklace that I have hanging up in my car. Ella gave me a flower that she started to grow at school. Tyler made me a wonderful card and Nichole told me how much she loved me. My friends the Sayer's invited us all over for dinner on Sunday. We had lasagna and garlic bread and salad. They also made cheesecake and I got to take one home. I also had some great company with them that night. I probably stayed way past my welcome. Thank you for opening your home and hearts to my family on Mother's Day! You guys are wonderful!

Age is a number and mine is unlisted.

On May 6th I turned 29 (again and from now on) and what a fun birthday it turned out to be. Nate called me and wished me a happy birthday! I forgot all about the present from him that arrived almost a month early. He got me an electronic book thingamajig. It was such a thoughtful gift and it took me completely by surprise. My mom and dad got me a photography backdrop. Nate's parents and grandparents each gave me money which I bought me an outfit with. Tyler and Nichole bought me some treats from the gas station. It was really cute. Nicole Spencer took me out to lunch the next day. She was in Boise for school and I was in Boise for the Tyler's field trip so we met up at Chili's and had lunch. It was nice to be able to spend time with her. We havent been able to do anything for a very long time. We have both been soooooo busy.Then my Mtn. Home girls took me out to dinner that same night. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt. I was able to spend some time away from the kidlets with a group of fabulous friends. I also gained some great pieces of black mail (or what I like to call material to tease with) Later that evening Beth came over and hung out with me. She made me some amazing cookies for my birthday. Heavenly Father has blessed me with amazing friends in my life. I value each of them and am thankful to have them around.

Tyler's field trip

Tyler went to the Idaho Discovery Center on his field trip this year. The school district has done away with field trips this year unless the kids want to pay for the gas. Isn't that silly. Of course I am going to help pay for gas so that Tyler can go on a field trip. He had so much fun. They got there around 10:00 and then left there around noon. After the field trip they went to the park and had a sack lunch.This is the first experiment that Tyler tried. He was just pumping air into the bottle and it got harder and harder as he went along. The boys really didn't spend much time at any of the experiments at first they were too busy pinging off the walls. If they couldn't figure it out right away they went on. There was instructions for each of the stations but they didn't want to read them.This was the wielding station. They got to wield together 2 washers. I think the boys liked the big spark that it sent up. Tyler said that this was his favorite station.He also got to pull himself up about 9 feet into the air. And as boys go they wanted to see who could do it the fastest. Always a competition with boys.Another station was this one with an air pump and 3 different types of balls. They got to see which one went up the highest. See the ball magically floating in the air between them.He got to look through a big telescope. He could see what was going on outside.I am not sure what they are doing here but, it was funny to watch from the outside. It was a sound proof room so I couldn't hear exactly how this started. Just all of the sudden the boys looked like they were doing a death scene right out of a science fiction movie. They laid there like that for about 2 minutes before they got up. Tyler just informed me that it was so hot in there they passed out.I flipped this picture the wrong way. It is a picture of Tyler laying on a bed of nails. He said it hurt. (and now he just said "not a lot").Here is Tyler shopping. He was running around grabbing groceries like he was on the game show "super market sweep" He then would check himself out and put everything back and start again. I hope he keeps up his enthusiasm for shopping especially when he goes with me the next time I go grocery shopping.

This is Tyler standing by the tornado made of steam. I asked him to stand by it and wanted to jump right up on the plat form with it.

Tyler wanted me to tell everyone that when he ate his lunch (you would know it as the super healthy pizza lunchable) The pizza sauce squirted all over him. He had it down his shirt and on his pants.

What I have been up to.

It seems that it has been a while since I have updated my blog. There hasn't been a super ton of stuff that I have been doing although I have been keeping myself busy. Two Friday's ago my friend Beth and her daughter Evie spent the night at my house. We stayed up until 2 o'clock in the morning just playing cards and talking it was like I was in high school all over again. When we went to let her dog out at 12 a.m. we ran into this sign and we both said at the same time how we had to get our pictures under this sign because it is so funny (at least to me and it being midnight didn't help) So sure enough when we got up in the morning we headed out the door and had our pictures taken under the sign.The same day my stake was hosting a preparedness fair. Of course I being a preparedness freak was in my own little heaven. They had several booths set up with everything from using wheat to making your own honey. From sprouting seeds to insurance for your dog. They also had a kids room where the kids could make cards for people and get their faces painted. Because there wasn't very many kids in there they painted Ella's face three times.Later that day I came home and decided that I would be brave and try to pull all of these weeds. See they are almost long enough to hide Ella in them. But alas, I couldn't do them all and after an hour and having only pulled about an eight I decided that I had bitten off more then I could chew.Ella thought that this would be an awesome outfit to wear to school. I thought she was getting ready to sweat to the oldies!The following weekend there was a Mia maids and Laurel sleepover. When we did the planning for the activities and the girls said that they wanted to have a sleepover with Anna and I (the first counselor) we both we "you want to have a sleepover with us"? and they assured us that they did. We just played games and watched movies. Then I snuck home and went to bed in my own bed. I then woke up at the wee hours of the morning to head back over so that I could help make breakfast before the the R.S. activity that they were having at 9 a.m.Ella got herself stuck behind Tyler's bunk bed. She was so mad at me when I decided to grab the camera before I helped her out. Which raises the question. Does she not know me at all? Of course I am going to take a picture. That is what I do. Get stuck-take a picture. Get stitches - take a picture. Loose a tooth- take a picture. See they just go hand in hand.

I found this picture of Natalie that she took of herself so then of course I had to post it! Isn't she cute!!!