The Kelleys

Spring 2011

2011-05-29T19:14:00.001-07:00

You wouldn't know it by the amount of blog posts I have done this year, but we have been insanely busy. During the last month alone we have had two talent shows, a ballroom performance, an orchestra concert, preschool graduation and we have one last ballet recital coming up at the end of this week. The only problem is that I've been taking video at all of these performances and no pictures. Someday I will figure out how to make my videos small enough to run on blogger, but until then here are some pictures of Meghan and Anthony before their Ballroom performance.

Anthony was in "Under the Sea"

Meghan danced in "Greased Lightening" and "Burn, Baby, Burn"

Easter 2011

2011-05-29T19:07:00.001-07:00

Some pictures of the kids showing what they found in their Easter baskets this year.

Logan Trip - April 2011

2011-05-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

Even though our Anniversary isn't until May, we always celebrate it in April during Kevin's break between semesters. We had to make it a quick trip this year, between Pinewood Derby and a ward activity that I was in charge of so we decided to go to Logan. It was so nice to get away!!

We got to do some sight-seeing, go to a movie, and just relax. We stayed at the beautiful Providence Inn. The Inn originated with the "Old Rock Church" that was build in 1869. In 1926 a wing was added on that became the inn and the church is now used as a reception center. The whole building and grounds are beautiful. The service and breakfast were wonderful, too.

On the morning that we left for home we took a jog around the area and looked the many historic homes there. It was a much needed break and a great way to celebrate our 13 years of marriage.

Must. Catch. Up.

2011-05-01T20:10:00.000-07:00

I know, I'm way behind on the blogging. I think I've only posted once this year. Let's play a little catch-up.

February - Meghan as Betsy Ross
I got to try out my almost non-existent sewing skills when Meghan needed to dress up as Betsy Ross for a report she had to give at school. I only made the mop cap and apron and was able to find the skirt and shirt at DI.

March - Pinewood Derby
Anthony has been obsessed with cars since birth. He has wanted to make a derby car since he was four and has know exactly how he wanted it to look for years. Luckily my dad has every tool imaginable and was willing to let us use them all. Anthony is also blessed to have a dad who is very artistic and could outline the flames so he could paint them in.

Meghan's 11th Birthday Sledding Party

2011-03-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

Meghan had a sledding party for her Birthday this year. After about an hour of sledding the girls came over for pizza and hot chocolate. It was a fun day.

We love Meghan so much. It is hard to believe that she is already 11. We are so proud of her.

Winter Wonderland

2011-03-05T18:32:00.000-08:00

Kevin made a really fun snow cave/sledding hill in our backyard. It has provided many hours of entertainment for the kids and they even spent the night in the cave. Since I have trouble staying warm indoors I volunteered to sleep inside so I could hear John if he woke up.

You can see Johnny sitting on top of the sledding hill that is behind the cave.

Holiday Fun

2011-03-05T18:16:00.001-08:00

We had a good time making reindeer cookies together, even though we probably ate more M&M's than we used for baking.

The kids made graham cracker houses.

Johnny loves Buzz Lightyear!

Our nativity play with Grandma and Grandpa.

On the first day of Christmas . . .

2010-12-13T14:47:00.000-08:00

This morning I walked out of my bedroom to find this:

a partridge in a pear tree! Hahaha. The tree is constructed from a dowel, paper, and a water bottle filled with marbles. The partridge had a pear body complete with beak and wings. Clever kids! I wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

Even though our plans for the weekend changed (due to an unexpected funeral and horrible weather conditions) we had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The kids ended up with a full week of vacation because we had two snow days so we had some great family-time playing games and watching movies together. On Thanksgiving we shared our usual yummy meal with my niece Katie and her roommate. That night we had a fun visit with my parents. So many things to be grateful for!

Now what to do with all the leftovers? We are going to make one of my mom's delicious recipes:

Thanksgiving Casserole

6 medium potatoes, peeled, cooked & mashed (or your leftover ones)
4 cups turkey, diced
6 cups stuffing
2 cans cream of chicken or mushroom soup
3/4 cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix turkey, soup, garlic powder, and 1/4 cup sour cream. Mix mashed potatoes with remaining sour cream and cream cheese. In a greased casserole dish layer stuffing, turkey mix, and potato mixtures. Top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Meghan's Portraits

2010-11-07T13:33:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2010

2010-11-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

It seems like we had about a week of Halloween this year. We dressed the kids up for the PTO Spookfest and for trick-or-treating. Kevin and I even threw together some costumes (about 10 minutes before we left). We made it about half way around the neighborhood before we came in for dinner, a movie, and all the candy you could eat.

Lil' Red & The Wolf

Johnny as Thomas the Train
(While wildly playing he had run into a door earlier that day. He got a nasty bruise and need some band-aids to make it all better.)

Black Cat Julia

Meghan a Kitten for Sale

Werewolf Anthony

Fall Portraits

2010-11-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

I have never been impressed with school pictures. I don't know why, but it seems that the photographer never actually looks at the child he is taking a picture of. You would think that they would figure out that the parents don't want a picture of their child wearing a winter coat or one with hair hanging down in their face. Nevertheless, every year, we end up with $20 worth of horrible pictures to be stored away in the closet. I've decided that I will no longer be pressured into buying something I don't want and have started taking my own "school" pictures. Although they may not be as professional, at least I can get a picture of them looking at the camera. I've also found that we can have an enjoyable time together during the photo shoot. (I'm taking Meghan's portraits this weekend so hers will follow soon).

Favorite New Summer Recipe

2010-08-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

I love to try new recipes when I have the time. I found this recipe last winter in a collection of "Taste of Home" recipes and have been saving it to try ever since. We had a great crop of raspberries this summer and I'm so excited that I found a good use for them. Warning: this recipe is not a healthy one, but it's really good.

Raspberry Struesel Coffee Cake

Filling:
3 ½ cups raspberries
1 cup water
2 T lemon juice
1 ¼ cups sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch

Batter:
3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup cold butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup (8 oz. ) sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
½ cup flour
½ cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened
½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

Glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tsp milk
½ tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, cook raspberries and water over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add lemon juice. Combine sugar and cornstarch; stir into fruit mixture. Boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes.

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture is like crumbs. Stir in eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Batter will be stiff.

Spread half of batter in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. Spread raspberry filling over that and then the rest of the batter. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over top. Bake 350 for 40 – 45 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze and drizzle over warm cake.

First Day Horray!

2010-08-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

We had a good start to the school year. Both kids were excited to go and be back with their friends. Anthony started 3rd grade in Mrs. Whaley's class and Meghan moved the Middle school this year in Mrs. Mitchell's 5th grade. They both seemed happy to start off on this new adventure. Julia was a little sad to be left behind for another year, but her preschool starts tomorrow. Here's to a wonderful school year!

Update!

2010-08-16T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've realized that there is one problem with blogging. I enjoy the journaling aspect of it and keeping in touch with others, but I get too busy to blog when there is so much going on! Here is my attempt to catch up since April. Happy, busy, summer!

Davis, California Trip - 2010

2010-08-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

We had a great stay in Davis. We got to see old friends, visit our favorite parks, swim, and just relax.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom

2010-08-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun here! They have animal shows, rides and play places. It was basically never-ending fun. We got to go with my parents and our friends Jacie, Joseph and Katie. What a great day!

Dillon Beach California - August 2010

2010-08-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

We love Dillon Beach! Kevin and I went there after we were first married and found about 20 whole sand dollars. It has always been one of our favorite beaches because there are tide pools and fun sand dunes to play on. It was a great place to share with the kids.

Summer 2010 - Grandma & Grandpa's 70th Anniversary

2010-08-16T15:10:00.001-07:00

My Grandparents celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this summer. We got to attend a reunion in their honor held at their farm in Payette, Idaho. It was great to see all the family that we haven't seen in awhile and get caught up.

July 2010 - Summer day trips

2010-08-16T15:03:00.000-07:00

We've really enjoyed having my parents stay with us this summer. We took quite a few day trips to show them around the area.
Big Springs

Geocaching - Island Park area

4th of July 2010

2010-08-16T14:58:00.000-07:00

The kids always look forward to the piles of candy, chocolate milk and goodies they get at the 4th of July parade. Later that evening we went to a BBQ and had fun setting off fireworks with our neighbors.

July 2010 - Anthony's Baptism

2010-08-16T14:51:00.001-07:00

On July 3rd Anthony choose to be baptised. It was such a special night. We are so grateful to all our family that could attend. It made it a great night for him.

May 2010 - Father/ Son Campout

2010-08-15T20:48:00.000-07:00

Kevin took the boys to the Father/Son camp out. They had a potluck dinner, played kickball and then nearly froze to death in their tent. (John came home to sleep). May is a little early to camp in Idaho.

June 2010 - Daddy/Daughter Hike

2010-08-15T20:40:00.001-07:00

For Meghan's Activity Days group they planned a Daddy/Daughter hike. They hike the Cress Creek trail and had a fun day together.

June 2010 - Raingutter Raggatta

2010-08-15T20:35:00.001-07:00

Anthony turned eight just in time to join cub scouts for the rain gutter regatta. He loved making and racing his boat.

June 2010 - Anthony's 8th Birthday & Johnny's 2nd

2010-08-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

Right after school gets out we get to celebrate Anthony & John's Birthday's. We started off the day with Birthday muffins. Had a pizza lunch at the park (our city has free lunches all summer). In the afternoon we went to the movies and then had dinner at Applebee's. After stuffing ourselves silly we went for a long walk and finished the day off with a piece from their camping cake. Our stomachs are glad birthdays only come once a year. We love our boys!

Yellowstone - April 2010

2010-04-18T17:44:00.001-07:00

A little glimpse at our fun weekend. . .

Idaho Ballroom Academy

2010-04-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Meghan and Anthony have really enjoyed taking ballroom classes for the last six weeks. They performed their dances this weekend. Anthony's class danced to "Cruella De Vil" (the boys were dalmations and the girls Cruella). Meghan's age group consisted to 3 classes of 3rd and 4th graders. They danced to the Chipmunk's "Shake Your Groove Thing". Each class had a different chipmunk color (Meghan's class was red).

It was really fun to see all the different age groups perform. The kids want to continue to take classes next year, too. We'll post video when we can figure out how to get it off our new camera.

Waiting for the performance to begin.

Blast Off

2010-04-18T15:19:00.000-07:00

With the University on Spring Break we were able to take some time to do a few fun things as a family this week.

We went to Blast Off in Idaho Falls and had the whole place to ourselves (one advantage to going at off hours).

Easter 2010

2010-04-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

We really enjoyed a relaxing, inspirational Easter weekend. I loved having general conference coincide with Easter this year. As always, the talks were wonderful and it was a much need break from the norm.

A couple yummy treats we enjoyed:

Kris' French Bread~

1 T shortening
1 T salt
1 T sugar
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
1 T active dry yeast
5 1/2 cups flour
1 egg white

Place shortening, salt, sugar, and boiling water in bowl (or bread machine) until shortening is melted. Add cold water, then yeast. When it bubbles, stir in flour gradually. Knead for 5 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl to rise until double (about 1 hour). Punch down, then shape into 2 long loaves. Place on a greased cookie sheet to rise for 30 minutes. Brush with egg white and slash 3 times diagonally. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. ~Makes 2 loaves

Bunny Cakes~

Meghan & Paige

2010-04-18T14:53:00.001-07:00

Rainbow Cupcake Recipe

2010-03-18T11:17:00.000-07:00

Hey, Val, I got the recipe from Family Fun, it was super easy and yummy. Here it is ...

Ingredients

* White cake mix (we used an 18-1/4-ounce box)
* Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)
* Baking cups
* Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls. Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.

RAINBOW COLOR DROPS OF FOOD COLORING
Purple 9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue 12 drops
Green 12 drops
Yellow 12 drops
Orange 12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red 18 drops

Line 12 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.

Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

2010-03-17T12:53:00.000-07:00

Our St. Patrick's Day treat:

Family Night Treat

2010-03-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

We made ice cream in a bag for our FHE treat. Everyone had fun shaking their own then we put it in ice cream cones and added sprinkles. Yum!
Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons salt
2 quart size Zip-loc bags
1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag
a hand towel or gloves to keep fingers from freezing as well!

Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, allowing as little air to remain in the bag as possible. Too much air left inside may force the bag open during shaking. Place this bag inside the other quart size bag, again leaving as little air inside as possible and sealing well. By double-bagging, the risk of salt and ice leaking into the ice cream is minimized. Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag and fill the bag with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Again let all the air escape and seal the bag. Wrap the bag in the towel or put your gloves on, and shake and massage the bag, making sure the ice surrounds the cream mixture. Five to eight minutes is adequate time for the mixture to freeze into ice cream.

It can be made with half and half instead of milk but I didn't want to make an extra trip to the store so we tried it with milk and it was pretty good.

Playing with Paige

2010-03-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Paige is the world's most patient kitten. She is always happy to be cradled, cuddled and sometimes smothered. The kids have had so much fun playing with her.

Littlest Pet Shop

2010-03-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

Meghan and Julia love to play with their Littlest Pet Shops. One day Julia set them all up and wanted me to take pictures of her with them. She has been begging me to post this picture on the computer. Here they are:

Priorities . . .

2010-03-09T13:32:00.000-08:00

My cousin posted the end of this poem today and it really illustrated what I feel. It made me curious about where the poem originated so I looked it up. It was written in 1958 and originally published in Ladies Home Journal.

Song for a Fifth Child
By Ruth Hulburt Hamilton

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

As spring has finally sprung here it has made me think a lot about my priorities. The nice weather has made me stop and think about enjoying life, not always rushing through it. I've taken the kids on field trips, we've gone on walks and just spent time together outside. It has been heaven to not be cooped up and just enjoy my kids again. At first there was this nagging in the back of my brain. "There's laundry to be done, I've got calls to make, and we can't have sandwiches for dinner again." Then came the realization that my time as a mother of young children is fleeting. The housework will always be there, but my children won't. I'll admit that I pretty much had things under control up until I had my fourth child. I never had a problem keeping things clean and organized and always had several hours a day to play with my kids. Now I have found with four children, lessons, and all our other responsibilities, I frequently have days when it is physically impossible to get everything done. It is really, really hard for me to let things go undone, but I'm trying. Trying to ignore dust and fingerprints. Trying over-look beds that aren't perfectly made. Trying to make happy memories for my kids, everyday.

They grow so quickly . . . Julia, Anthony & Meghan when we moved here.

The kids now . . .

A New Addition . . .

2010-01-25T14:42:00.000-08:00

Meghan has wanted a kitten of her own for her entire life. After lots of persuasion, she talked us into getting one for her Birthday. We looked at 4 Paws pet adoption where they had about one hundred cats. Meghan saw one that she just fell in love with. She was white and gray and adorable. Meghan even said she would call her "Marshmellow". However, we soon found out that she was spoken for. Someone else was supposed to come pay for her the following weekend. Meghan just didn't like any of the other kittens as well. We decided to look at the animal shelter the next day (which was Meghan's Birthday). It turned out that the animal control officer was sick and so the shelter was closed for the day. We went home with a very disappointed girl. When Meghan told me that she had wished for Marshmellow when she blew out her Birthday candles I was afraid that she was going to be heartbroken if we didn't get her. We decided to try looking at the adoption center the following day to pick a different kitten. That following day I got a call that Marshmellow could be ours if we still wanted her. Meghan was ex static! We got her that night and we all fell in love with her. Meghan did decide that if she was a cat she wouldn't want to be called Marshmellow her whole life so she decided to keep the name the adoption center gave her, Paige. It has been so fun to see the kids interact with Paige. We are excited to have her as part of the family. (Our eleven year old cat, Madeline, was not so excited, but the idea is starting to grow on her).

Meghan Turns 10!

2010-01-21T12:53:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas season. Throughly enjoyed having my parents come to stay with us. It was so great to visit and relax. I'm so far behind on posting I will add Christmas pictures later.
This week Meghan celebrated her 10th Birthday. It's hard to believe that she is already ten! She is such a sweet girl and has always been a joy to have in our family. We love you, Meghan Rose!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

Our Thankful Tree: We always make a tree with things we are thankful for attached to it. Here is this year's.

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Anthony's 2nd grade class had a Thanksgiving performance for their families. They recited poems and sang songs about what they were thankful for. It was really cute and very touching.

Thanksgiving Day - We had a nice relaxing Thanksgiving feast. I only got one picture taken before my camera battery ran out, though. That afternoon we played games and visited with family.

Projects

2009-11-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

I've finally completed two projects that have been on my to do list for about a year. The first is a family night rotation sign. I wanted to update our old one because John didn't have a spot on it. I looked all around for a sign with six pegs or hooks on it (one for each of us) but never found one so I made my own.

Then I made this sign at Enrichment meeting:

Meal Time!

2009-11-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

A messy, but happy, Johnny. After enjoying a bowl of homemade macaroni & cheese he decided to wear the bowl as a hat and loved the reaction he got from his siblings.

Halloween

2009-11-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

We had a great Halloween this year. We were kept super busy with the Primary Program, PTO Carnival and class parties. We ended up with really nice weather on Halloween night. I took the kids trick-or treating while Kevin manned our door (and tried to scare the trick-or-treaters).

Geocaching

2009-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Some pictures from a fall geocaching trip we took. I think we had crossed over into Wyoming when we took these.

Playing in a stream.

Julia's Island:
My kids are huge fans of Gillian's Island. They are always quoting the very wise Mr. Howell or singing, "Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale..." So when Julia saw this patch of grass in the stream she was so excited to have her own island.

Harvest 2009

2009-10-28T10:47:00.000-07:00

As a child, I spent many a hour complaining while weeding our huge vegetable garden. Now I love gardening. My children are surprisingly really good at helping me plant, weed and harvest and they get so excited to see our garden's progress. No fall is complete without canning. I made spaghetti sauce, peach jam and apple sauce this year.

Meghan with her gigantic cabbage that she grew for a school project.

Family Reunion - August 2009

2009-10-24T06:55:00.000-07:00

We had the greatest opportunity to be all together with my family. Our reunion only lasted for a weekend, but we had made some great memories and just enjoyed being together.

Hogle Zoo

Souvenirs

Christmas in August

Boys will be boys
Josh and Anthony discovered colonies of salamanders living in the sprinkler boxes at the park we visited. Slimy things = hours of fun!

My beautiful family

Salt Lake visit
The Conference Center

We got to hear the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice "The Prayer"

The Salt Lake Temple

The Logan Temple

Last Days of Summer

2009-10-18T19:54:00.000-07:00

On the last few days before the kids went back to school we tried to finish doing some of the things they wanted to do this summer. One was to go to the Splash Park one more time. They rode the carousel, got wet and played at the park too.

Our city holds a "Celebrate Youth" activity every year on the evening before school starts. This was our first year going. The kids loved it when a fire truck sprayed into the crowd.

First Day of School 2009

Catch-up time!

2009-10-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

With the Primary Program over, I can breathe a sigh of relief (sigh). Now it's time to catch up on all that's been left undone. It was fun to look through some pictures from last month, it seems like it was ages ago.

Denial

2009-08-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Our family is experiencing a period of denial. We keep saying, "No, summer can't be coming to an end. Please just a few more months." We have tried our hardest to cram in as much fun this summer as possible. Here's a slideshow of our crazy, yet wonderful days of summer vacation.

SLIDESHOW

We visited Warm River, Mesa Falls, and Big Springs and found 6 geocaches (so the kids could get two treasures each). We ended the day with pizza at Craigos. Why can't every day be like today?

Discovery Center of Idaho

2009-08-16T20:14:00.000-07:00

On our way back from Emmett, my cousin invited us to stop by in Boise at the Discovery Center. It is a hands-on science museum and it was so fun! The exhibits were wonderful and the kids loved experimenting with it all.

Afterward we had a picnic lunch in the park. Thanks to my cousin Rebecca for the great day!

Trip to Emmett, ID

2009-08-16T19:35:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of August we took a trip up to visit my grandparents in Emmett. My parents went too and we had a great time visiting with everyone. We got to see a lot of my Mom's side of the family and it was so nice to catch up. We had a fun family gathering at Eagle Island, where we got to swim, visit and have homemade rootbeer floats (I wish I wouldn't have forgotten my camera). It was so great to see everyone!
The kids were so excited to stay on a real farm. Grandpa's Farm

John getting aquainted with the cows

Kids with an old tractor

With Great Grandma & Grandpa Prescott

Playing Bocce with Mom & Dad

Egin Lake - July 25th

2009-07-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

We decided to go to Egin Lake this weekend to cool off. The water was perfect for the kids. We could walk across the entire thing. There was a lot of moss growing on the bottom. The water was surprisingly clear though. We had a great time swimming and had a nice shady spot to ourselves for most of the day. There were snails and lots of dragon flies to look at too. It was a nice day.

Happy 4th of July!!

2009-07-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

I forgot to take my camera to the parade, but the kids enjoyed catching a bunch of candy and prizes there. That afternoon we broke out the badminton set and taught the kids to play. After a couple of hours we were very hot and tired so we took a brake and watched Gilligan's Island episodes. It was a nice, relaxing day. Much needed.

That night we watched our neighborhood fireworks and did some of our own.

Craters of the Moon

2009-07-26T20:53:00.001-07:00

We went to Craters of the Moon with Kevin's family. Our group had 8 adults and 13 kids under 12. We got to climb volcanoes, explore caves and just have a good time together.

Julia's Preschool Parade

2009-07-26T20:50:00.001-07:00

Julia finished up another semester of preschool. She absolutely loved it and even got comfortable enough to talk to her teachers this time around. Yes! This was a parade that they had with her class.

Airshow - Father's Day Weekend

2009-07-26T20:43:00.001-07:00

Yes, we are still wearing jackets in these pictures taken on Father's Day weekend. The airshow was really fun. We watched it from a nearby park and the planes went right over our heads.

Pictures of Anthony & Johnny's Birthday

2009-07-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Anthony and John!!!

2009-06-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

I love my two boys and it is so fun that they share a Birthday! We've had a nice day so far. We ate cinnamon rolls for breakfast, went to the park for corn dogs and ride on the carousel and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the nature park feeding the ducks all the bread heels (that no one else will eat). To add to our already nutritionally horrible day we'll have pizza and two kinds of birthday cake tonight. Pictures to follow.

Spring Pictures

2009-05-31T20:44:00.000-07:00

We really need an updated family picture (one with John in it). Here are a few we tried up at the campus gardens. It's tough to get little ones to make a good expression when they are staring at a tripod, but some of them turned out ok.

New, Favorite Pastime

2009-05-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

We have finally found something fun to do on Saturdays that everyone in the family enjoys!! Geocaching! It started as any other Saturday: "What are we going to do after the jobs are done today?" Kids wanting to stay at home and play outside with friends all day and parents wanting to get away. We decided to make it one of our "Surprise field trips" (in other words Mom and Dad get to decide where we are going and we get there without whining). We rented a GPS unit from campus and set out on our way. There was a list of several geocaching spots in Swan Valley so we decided to go there. We were unsuccessful at finding the first cache and we heard some whining in the process. But were able to find the cache at the second location and the kids were hooked. They wanted keep going on more "treasure hunts". It made for a very enjoyable day and we ended it all with a famous square ice cream cone.

I'm so grateful for . . .

2009-05-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Today I am so grateful for the temple. Having one so close is a huge blessing. What a great opportunity we have to provide the ultimate service for someone else. Not to mention the profound peace I feel when I'm there. Like all is right in the world and that the things that aren't are only temporary.

Book Recommendation

2009-05-04T13:36:00.000-07:00

I just finished, "Toss the Guilt and Catch the Joy" by Merrillee Boyack. Thanks to my sister-in-law for lending it to me. I'm ususally not a fan of self-help books but I thought she had so many really good insights. I would highly recommend it. I was able to see Sister Boyack at last year's Education Week and hope to see her again this year. She is such a good speaker.

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

(Note: the assignment to produce this particular blog entry has been delegated to the husband...)

Spring break for BYU-Idaho was the week after Easter this year. The plan was for me to take one or two days and finish up all of my grading and other end of semester goodies, and then we would spend a few days (well, afternoons at least, since the kids were in school that week) having some fun outdoor family activities. Then again, even the best of plans....

While some of the devoted followers of this blog may already know a little about my health history, I'll give just a few details for the benefit of those who may not. About five years ago, having no history of the disorder previously, I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma. About a year later I had noticed other things would also trigger the occasional bronchospasm, like a good shot of household dust or, more frequently, any type of upper respiratory illness. However, the symptoms were always relatively mild, and the spasms were quickly dispelled by the use of an albuterol inhaler. For about eight or nine months after my sinus surgery in December 2007, the asthma had gone away almost completely, but once the cold season started up the following year, it began to return.

About mid-March I had contracted a cold, which, as is usual with me, turned into a sinus infection (number four since the beginning of the year). The day I decided it was time to go and pester the doctor for yet another antibiotic, I felt the infection start to move down into my lungs. The doctor expressed some concern when he saw me, primarily because he couldn't really hear anything with the stethoscope due to the wheezing. He suggested that I rent (or purchase) a nebulizer and run through a vial of albuterol every six hours for the next several days to get my airways opened up. So, a trip to the medical supply store and five prescriptions later, I was back at home. The illness had cleared up (or at least so I thought) after three or four days, though I still found myself using the nebulizer about once a day.

Fast forward three weeks to the end of the semester. The afternoon after graduation (April 11) I felt that all too familiar tickle at the back of my throat, and knew I was in for yet another cold/sinus infection. It took its usual course over the weekend, though by Sunday evening it felt like it was on its way out. We ate Easter dinner with my parents that night (thanks Mom and Dad), and the next morning I was back at work grading that end of term stack of papers.

On Monday night I was feeling a little wheezy and stuffy, and to avoid keeping Kim awake I decided to sack out for the night in the recliner, but not before a breathing treatment with the nebulizer. Around 1:00 in the morning I woke up wheezing again. This was an entirely new experience for me. Every time previous to this the albuterol would do the trick and keep my asthma down for at least 12 hours. It had only been three.

I was pretty tired at this point, so I just pulled out my inhaler and took a few puffs. Still the bronchospasm only lightened up a little - not enough to let me get back to sleep. This went on for the next several hours, eventually reaching the point where I could hardly walk. At this point I was pretty sure I would need to see the doctor the next day. The thought had crossed my mind as well that perhaps this was something that needed more immediate attention. However, our copay for the emergency room is five times higher than the copay for the physician's office, so I quickly dismissed that idea. But things kept getting worse, eventually to the point where I could use the albuterol and be right back to wheezing hard only 15 minutes or so later.

Finally, around 5:00 or so I woke Kim up and suggested that I get to the ER. (To give you an idea of what my condition was at this point, I was completely winded after walking the 20 or so feet from the recliner to the bedroom.) She calmly got up, got dressed, instructed the children on how to contact us should they need anything before Grandpa arrived (thank goodness they live relatively close), and drove me to the hospital.

I figured that I would go to the ER, they would give me a shot or two of corticosteroids and a breathing treatment, and within a few hours everything would be back to normal. This was sometime around 6:00 am.

At about 1:00 pm, after four courses of steroids, three shots of epinephrine, and I don't even know how many breathing treatments, I was still showing no sign of improvement. My oxygen saturation was only holding in the low 90's with the oxygen on, and my pulse would not drop below about 120 bpm. I had already been in for a chest X-ray, and when it came back not exactly normal was sent back in for a CT scan. The ER doctor was getting pretty concerned at this point, and was starting to wonder whether I should be transferred to a pulmonary specialist in Salt Lake City. My Dad and our Bishop showed up around 1:30 and gave me a blessing. By 2:30 I was starting to slip even further. Now, granted, I had been awake for the last 13 hours with my pulse racing and working hard for every breath. Things get a little hazy to me for the next few hours. I remember slipping in and out of sleep, and hearing some sort of conversation as to whether I should be moved into the ICU.

Now, I must say, when a person gets into that type of condition, certain thoughts start to run through their mind. For a short period of time I wondered if I was eventually going to pull through or not. And if I didn't, would Kim and the kids be OK? Needless to say, I think I learned a thing or two from that experience.

As the evening drew on I was eventually moved out of the ER and admitted into the hospital. Things must have began to turn around while I was in and out of sleep, because they wheeled me into a regular hospital room, and not the ICU. I spent the next two and a half days in that room, receiving breathing treatments every four hours, steroids every eight hours, and antibiotics two or three times a day. I was released on Friday morning.

Thanks to a borrowed laptop and an open wireless network at the hospital, I was still able to get my grades in on time :).

So, spring break this year did not turn out quite as planned.

Since my release, I have been in for a few follow up visits. The otorhinolaryngologist (or ENT, though I suspect they prefer the technical name) discovered that, even after a week of antibiotics, I still had an infection brewing in my sinuses. He took a culture and prescribed another 12 day course of steroids and a four week course of antibiotics. I'll learn about the results on that culture in about a week. He also found that my sinuses were for the most part still fairly good, the only exception being widespread inflammation and thickening of the mucosa and a few polyps. The plan right now is to see if we can just shrink those up with the steroids, and hopefully avoid any additional surgical procedures.

Anyhow, the moral of the story, I suppose, is as follows. If you or your loved ones are treating asthma with an inhaled beta agonist more frequently than twice a week, see your doctor and get it under control. After all, you would probably rather spend your spring break watching trout rise for your blue wing olive than eating bland hospital food.

Easter 2009

2009-04-21T05:51:00.001-07:00

On the Friday before Easter we colored Easter Eggs. Everytime we do this I wonder who came up with the idea to let kids drop eggs in dye? The kids had a good time.

The finished product.

Saturday morning, following the egg trail to find their Easter Baskets.

Kids with their Easter Baskets.

Easter Morning.

Updates

2009-04-19T15:54:00.000-07:00

Just kidding about the picture challenge. I took a picture the first day and then completely forgot about it. I did end up taking some pictures this month, so here they are:

Meghan's class has Poetry Club on Friday's. Here she is reading one of her poems.

Julia posing with her lion.

The PTO had Reading Month in March with lots of fun activities to go along with it. They had people come in dressed up to read books, prizes for the most minutes read, and a Book Float Parade. Here is the the float that Anthony's class did. Their book was, "Frog and Toad are Friends".

Meghan's Book Float, "George's Marvellous Medicine".

Anthony with an Easter Cake he made for his Family Night treat.

Sweet Johnny.

Julia in her pizza costume she made at preschool.

Picture Challenge

2009-03-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've just realized that I have only taken 5 pictures since the middle of February. That's horrible!! I hearby challenge myself to take a picture a day for the next month. I definately won't post them everyday but hopefully this will help me actively look for opportunities to take more pictures.

Surprise Field Trips

2009-03-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, when I was really tired of winter, I invented a new tradition for the kids. After I picked Meghan and Anthony up from school one day I told them we were going on a surprise field trip and that they had to close their eyes on the way there. At first I thought the idea might backfire when they realized that we were just going to end up at a boring Rexburg destination that we had been to before. However, when we got to the Teton Flood Museum they were so excited. I guess just making it a surprise made it fun. We looked around at the museum exhibits and played in the children's school room. They were featuring Abraham Lincoln and had costumes from that time.
Anthony showing John a fun Monarch puppet.

Meghan playing with and old-fashioned metal lunch pail.

Look Mom, it's a skunk!

Julia dressed as a pioneer.

Other surprise field trips have included playing at the new Arctic Circle play zone and visiting the Standard Journal (to pick up roll ends for the Primary Activity). I am now officially out of destination ideas until it gets a little warmer (there aren't that many exciting things to do in Rexburg).

Life

2009-03-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

It seems like too much of my life is spent being busy, frustrated, annoyed, pessimistic, or stressed out. I wish I would take time to stop and think about the many moments of joy that I experience along the way.
Those things that make you realize that it just doesn't get any better than this . . .

~ When you lift a baby out of their crib after a nap and with a huge smile on his face, he puts his arms around your neck and snuggles on your shoulder.
~ That I can watch the sunset out my kitchen window while doing the dinner dishes.
~ The first bulbs of spring.
~ Children's laughter.
~ When you make a new recipe for dinner and your kids actually like it.
~ A full nights uninterrupted sleep.
~ Little fingers, little toes.
~ When my children are nice to their siblings.
~ Dancing around with my kids while doing housework.
~ Wonderful hubby noticing and commenting when I lose weight or spend extra time cleaning.
~ Taking walks together as a family.
~ Cookies and Cream Ice Cream!
~ Kevin, Meghan, Anthony, Julia, John: they give me so much joy.

Dreaming of Spring . . .

2009-03-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

The snow is starting to melt! Last week I got a gigantic seed catalog in the mail and had so much fun browsing through it. I can't wait to have fresh vegetables and flowers again! Only about three more months until we can plant here. It was kind of disappointing to see the limited varieties that we can get to grow (we are in Zone 3). I've decided I need to have a t-shirt made that says "Zone 10 - do not plant in areas where the minimum temperature is colder than 40 degrees". I so wasn't made for Idaho weather.

Brothers

2009-02-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

Illness, GO AWAY!

2009-02-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

There have been so many bugs going around this winter! This last week it all started with M. She was sick for two days. On President's Day the rest of us were so stir crazy that we left M & Jn napping inside while we built a mini sledding hill in our back yard. I didn't get any pictures of it because my camera was in with the sleeping baby, but here is one a couple of days later when M was feeling better and A was sick.

Apparently, there were 100 kids that stayed home from school sick one day this week. So what ever they had spread like wildfire. After three days A finally didn't have a fever and was able to go back to school. Unfortunately, Ju woke up sick that day. It's Sunday now and we are all healthy (knock on wood)!

Happy Valentines Day!

2009-02-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

My Aunt Melba

2009-02-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, January 27th I got the sad call that my aunt Melba had passed away. She is my mother's oldest sister and is the neatest lady. She raised eight children, and supported her husband who was in the military while they lived in Puerto Rico and Turkey. She loved to have get-togethers and I have fond memories of summer reunions at her house in Utah. She even attempted to teach me to quilt during one of our visits. She was a wonderful example to me and will be greatly missed.

I'm glad we had the opportunity to go to Utah for her funeral. It was so nice to see all the family that we haven't seen in a long time.

My Dad with John

My Mom with John

The kids, of course, always find a way to have fun with their cousins. The hotel we stayed in had a really nice pool, so they had a good time.

Johnny is growing so fast!

2009-01-25T21:22:00.001-08:00

Just a couple random pictures of J to show how much he's grown. Why can't they stay little forever?
Baby on a String - He loves to chew on these.

Once There was a Snowman

2009-01-25T21:05:00.001-08:00

One day after I brought J home from preschool baby J had fallen asleep so I took advantage of the time to shovel off our driveway and front walk, then I helped J make a snowman. You have to realize that I grew up in CA and probably had the opportunity to make a snowman once when I was 5. I decided to build him on our little mound in the front yard. We rolled the first big ball for the bottom of the snowman and stood back to survey our work. So now I'm getting more confident in my snowman making skills and thinking, "This isn't hard". We trudge down to the bottom of the mound and start rolling the second ball. When it looks decently round I start lifting it up to stack it on. I hoist it up and start to realize that a ball of snow that big is really heavy! As I try to lift it on top of the other ball I am staggering backwards and my feet begin to go out from under me. J can see that I am seconds away from dropping her precious snowman body so she puts her hands on my leg to steady me. In the end frosty was born. The kids were sad to see him belly down after a storm we had two days later.

J starts Preschool

2009-01-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

J is very excited to start preschool up on campus (at Daddy's work, as she puts it). We got to go in for an open house to meet her teachers and see her room. She had a great time playing with play-doh, ooey stuff (homemade gak) and painting. She was not nervous at all and wishes that she could have preschool everyday instead of just three times a week.

Happy New Year! (Monster Post)

2009-01-25T19:31:00.000-08:00

I'm finally ready to move past Christmas. (It's only Jan 25th!) My blog suffers when I get insanely busy. Here's a little update on what's been going on. . .

We had a wonderful Christmas at my parents house in CA. It was so fun to see my sister and niece and their husbands, too. We had a great time visiting, playing games and just not doing the normal routine. The loved grandma and grandpa's so much that they never wanted to leave. I strongly considered just staying on vacation forever, especially when it was 60 degrees there and we came home to two feet of snow.

While in CA we got to spend a day with my best bud, Jacie. It was so great to see her and her kids. Our children were basically raised as brothers and sisters and it took them no time at all to be back as best friends. We had such a nice day together (played at the park (in December!!) and went to "In N Out" for lunch. It's always hard to say see ya next year. I miss you Jacie!!

What we came home to. Thanks to K for digging us out!

Our now yearly tradition of making an igloo in the back yard.

Since we've been home it's been hard to get back into a routine. January is still party month for us with my Birthday and M's too. I had a nice relaxing birthday. A huge thank you to all my friends who remembered me. I appreciate it so much. It was fun to have my Birthday fall on a Friday this year. Thanks to my in-laws for watching our kids so we could go out to dinner and ice cream (at Leatherby's). If you haven't tried Leatherby's ice cream you are missing out. It is soooo good. Unfortunately their portions are huge and we made pigs of ourselves and ended up regretting our glutenous behavior. Oh well, you only get one Birthday a year (thank heavens).

M had a great Birthday, too. She decided on a pajama party (during the daytime because mommy hasn't decided if she believes in sleep-overs in this day and age). She had a small group of friends over to make paper-dolls, play and pig-out on popcorn, s'mores mix and little twinkies made to look like girls in sleeping bags. They had a good time.

Other than that we've just been taking it day by day. With our "Great to Be Eight" night and about a zillion primary meetings, I've been pretty busy. I guess it helps me obsess less about when winter will finally end.

2008 - A Year of Blessings

2008-12-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

As a family we feel so blessed to be happy, healthy, and insanely busy. This year has been an eventful one and we've definitely enjoyed the ride.

January:
M's Eigth Birthday and Baptism.
We are so proud of her. She has grown into a delightful young lady and seems so grown up now. She loves to read and keeps us busy finding new material for her. She also loves to dance and is teaching herself to play the piano. M has a very active imagination and is always ready to gather a group of kids to make a club or play Harry Potter.
Her baptism was a special day that we will always remember.

February:
Rexburg Temple Dedication
We enjoyed helping at the open house and being able to attend a session of the dedication inside the temple. We feel so blessed to have a temple five minutes from our house and love to see it out our window everyday.

March:
Burried under never-ending snow. Piles 7 feet high on the sides of the driveway. Unbelievable.

April:
Still snowing. Built an igloo in the backyard out of chunks of ice that Dad pried from our patio.

May:
Believe or not, still snowing. However, it did stop long enough to rain the entire Memorial Day weekend while K was trying to put up our fence.

June:
Finished the fence. June 11th (A's birthday) it snowed, and J was born. J is such a blessing to our family. He is a little sweetheart and brings us constant joy. He is adored by his siblings and parents alike.

What a Birthday present for A! He's is a great big brother and is happy to not be the only boy now. He likes to play with his sisters and on the computer. A loves to ride his bike and build things. He's is also an outdoorsman like his Dad. They enjoy fishing, target shooting and hiking.

July:
Grandma P came to visit and enjoy her new grandbaby. We had so much fun together, we wish she never had to leave. We also had Jn's blessing and enjoy having family come to that.

August:
We thoroughly enjoyed K's time off this summer. We just stayed close to home, made some day trips, and enjoyed a slower-pace than our normal life.

September:
Back to school! M's in 3rd this year and A's in 1st. They love their teachers and have really enjoyed reading, art, recess and lunch.

J turned 3! She is a little character. She loves to sing and dance and her favourite pastime is giving Mommy a run for her money. She also enjoys reading books and helping with all kitchen jobs. She is really looking forward to preschool and asks to go everyday. Her preschool is at Daddy's work and will start in January. She is so excited to be a big girl.

October:
For some reason this is always the busiest month of the year. We had the Primary program (yes, I'm stil the PP), Boxtops deadline (I'm doing fundraising for PTO this year), PTO Carnival, and Halloween to top it off. Needless to say the kids ended up with very simplified costumes this year. (Thanks to my sis for letting me use her costumes.) M was a Genie, A was Dracula, J was Winnie the Pooh (second year in a row), and Jn was Tigger.

November:
Thanksgiving of course. We enjoyed having K's parents over to celebrate with us.

December:
With shopping done, primary partially staffed for January, and my time as a tithing settlement widow (K's the finance clerk) coming to an end, I am anxiously looking forward to our Christmas vacation. We will be spending a couple of weeks with my parents in California and can't wait.

We are truly grateful for family, friends and the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us all a purpose.

7 Random Things

2008-12-04T17:26:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Valerie.

7 things I can do...

Multi-Task
Cook
Scrapbook
Give my opinion (whether it's wanted or not)
Organize
Make up funny words to just about any song
Make my kids laugh

7 things I can't do...

Be 20 again
Run a marathon
Eat fish
Leave my house a mess
Drive a car with a manual transmission
Sleep past 8 am
Juggle

7 things I always say...

"I love you!"
"You guys are driving me nuts!"
"Sssshhhhh!"
"Hey cutie! "
"This corn is like an angel!"
"Ummmm, I don't know!"
"It's too quiet, what are they doing?"

7 things I always eat...

Burritos
Veggies
Ice Cream
Fruit
Wheat thins
Cheese
Wheat Bread

7 tags...

Paola
Emily
Sarah
Lisa
Camille
Dacia
Tammy

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving Day. We had lots of delicious food, and fun just relaxing and visiting with K's parents. I have so many things to be thankful for this year. Family, friends, good health and so many blessings. This poem says it all.

Count My Blessings

I count my daily blessings, Lord,
And try to count them all.
But, it's like counting all the stars at night
Or the raindrops, when they fall.

For, my blessings are so many
And my troubles are so few ...
That the good always outweighs the bad;
Due to blessings, sent from You.

So, Father, please forgive me
If I fail to count the ways ...
As you have blessed my life immensely,
Through your love that never strays.

© 2001 by Vickie Lambdin

Autumn Kids

2008-11-25T15:16:00.001-08:00

I took this picture at the nature park in town. I looks like a nice day, but in reality the wind was really blowing. J has recently developed a fear of wind (babe, you live in the wrong place) and was in tears shortly after we arrived but I was able to snap a few pictures before the melt-down.

Twilight

2008-11-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else's significant other roll their eyes and groan any time the new "Twlight" movie is mentioned? K just thinks the whole vampire romance situation is ridiculous (which, when you say it out loud it does sound silly) but what really annoys him is that all these grown women love these teeny-bopper books. I told him that the books just give women what they want, romance. The fact that it involves fantasy creatures is beside the point. K's response to this argument was that in reality what women really want is not romance, but someone to let them take a Sunday afternoon nap and make them brownies. True, so true. Brownie recipe to follow . . . they were delicious.

Yes, we are still alive

2008-11-25T14:51:00.001-08:00

I realized that I haven't updated my blog since August, but I can't even think about posting about all the things I've missed so I'm starting from today on. Jn has grown so much and is still a little joy. We have all had so much fun with him and the kids always say that they want him to stay a baby forever. I always said I wouldn't get lazy and not take pictures or write down milestones, but I've definately been guilty of that. I am enjoying each little, cute thing he does, though, even if I haven't documented it.

Summertime

2008-08-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

With summer winding down I am starting to think about school. After being disappointed with the school pictures we've had in the past (messy hair, unnatural smiles . . .) I decided to take my own portraits this year and have them enlarged so we can hang them on the wall. I also thought it would be a good time to take some pictures of Jn and send them to our relatives who haven't had a chance to see him.

And I only had to snap 550 pictures to get a few good ones! :)

Going Back In Time . . .

At the 4th of July Parade . . .

Jn's Blessing Day . . .

My mom with Jn. She came to stay with us for a couple of weeks in July. We had so much fun! It was so nice to have all the help, too. I miss you, mom. Anthony's Kindergarten Graduation . . .

M's Ballet Recital . . .

New Arrival

2008-06-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

I finally have a second to post our good news! John Thomas Kelley was born on June 11, 2008 at 8:19 pm. He weighed 7 lbs, 3 oz and was 19 inches long. He came 4 days before my due date and was born on A's birthday! (We couldn't have planned that one if we tried.) Another interesting thing about the 11th was that it snowed that morning!

As far as labor & deliveries go, this one was pretty easy. I started having regular contractions (10 minutes apart) at 3:00 pm. It was during A's swimming lessons which are held in the building next to the one that K works in on campus. I gave him a call at 3:45 and he said that he was just putting away some equipment from a lab that just got out and would be right out. By 4:00 we were all headed home. We had K's parents coming that night at 6:00 to have pizza and cake for A's Birthday, but figured that we shouldn't wait that long to go to the hospital. My neighbor was nice enough to watch the kids until they got here and we headed for the hospital at about 5:00 pm. When we got there I was only dilated to 4 and kind of disappointed because I thought I would be further along. Luckily, labor progressed well and I dilated 2 cm every hour and John was born at 8:19 pm. I tried the intrathecal this time and would highly recommend it. I have never had a better delivery or recovery and feel very blessed because of that. The only thing I would have changed was missing A's party. Luckily, we had his Pirate birthday party with 10 of his friends the Saturday before so we did get a chance to celebrate with him.

The kids have all taken to John really well and wish they could hold him all the time. He is a sweet, mellow, baby and very loved.

10 Years of Marriage!!

2008-05-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

Today is the 10 year anniversary of our marriage. Wow, how time flies when you're having fun. I am so grateful for my wonderful husband and I wouldn't change anything about him. He is truly my best friend, my confidant, and my everything. Here's to 10 wonderful years and at least another 60 more!!

Mothers Day 2008

2008-05-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

I had a great Mothers Day today. After cleaning up things from primary, K had to do some financial work but made it home in record time so we had the afternoon to spend together. The kids all gave me presents that they had made.

Then K made a delicious lasagna dinner for me and a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. I wish everyday could be Mothers Day:)

Happy Mothers Day!!

2008-05-11T18:54:00.000-07:00

In a tribute to mothers on one occasion, President David O. McKay said:

“She who can paint a masterpiece or write a book that will influence millions deserves the plaudits and admiration of mankind. But she who would willingly and anxiously rear successfully a family of beautiful healthy sons and daughters whose lives reflect the teachings of the gospel, deserves the highest honors that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God. In fact, in her high duty and service to humanity, endowing with mortality eternal spirits, she is a co-partner with the Great Creator himself.”

I want to thank my mother for the righteous example she has been to me. You have taught me so many things; to have faith, to work hard, and to be loving. I could not ask for a better mother. I love you.

(Yes, as you can tell from my sister's outfits and the red curtains, I was born in the 70's.)

New Car

2008-04-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, we finally parted ways with the "green machine". With number four on the way we decided it was time to join the ranks of mini-van owners. Here she is.

I'll have to say that I really enjoy having the extra space. The kids like it too. Everytime we get in the car J says, "I like this one, it's so big". The only drawback I've seen so far is that it is hard to back up. I always thought that the rear camera feature was a completely unnecessary feature until now. I understand the need for it when I am backing down an alley not knowing who or what I am taking out in the process.

Anniversary Weekend

2008-04-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

We celebrated our 10 year anniversary early this year. I figured I'd feel a little better at 7 months pregnant than I will at 8. The only requirements for where we wanted to go were: somewhere close and somewhere warm. We ended up going to Logan, Utah which is close and the 65 degrees felt really warm to us (kinda sad). It was nice to see that spring has arrived somewhere. The grass was green and all the bulbs were in bloom. We stayed at the Anniversary Inn which was really nice.

We spent most of our first day there rummaging through a huge used bookstore (one of our favorite pass-times) and walking around old town. That evening we got some Chinese food (I've been craving that) and ice cream (not a great diet weekend). The next day we explored Logan Canyon and then we headed home. It was a short trip, but really nice to get away.

An Afternoon at the Teton Flood Museum

2008-04-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

After living in Rexburg for a year and a half we decided it was finally time to visit the town's one and only museum. It is housed in the basement of the old Rexburg Tabernacle and basically consists of some antiques from the early days of the town and a filmstrip of the flood that took out the city in 1976.

"History was written in the landscape of the surrounding communities by the scouring floodwaters of the Teton Dam on that fateful day, June 5, 1976. Much of the damage has been rectified but there are still tell-tale signs of the overwhelming devastation caused by the flood that can never be erased. A high water line marks the entrance to the museum indicating the level of flood water from the 80 billion gallons of water that came through Rexburg." http://www.rexcc.com/thingstodo/attractions/tetonflood.html

Our favorite part was the children's room. It is set up like an old school house classroom and they have new exhibits every month. April is dinosaur month, so the kids had a great time digging for fossils and doing dinosaur activities.

SNOW, Still

2008-04-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, we do still have enough snow in mid-march to have an igloo in our yard! Will it ever melt? K built this while prying the huge blocks of frozen snow from our patio. Here the kids are playing in the igloo with our neighbor.

It's a boy!

2008-03-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

Most of you reading this blog are probably already aware that we are expecting a new baby in June. Just this last week we went in for the 5 month ultrasound, and learned that we are having another boy. The doctor's office had a really nice ultrasound that was capable of real time 3D tomography, and so they could take a really nice picture, as you see below.

Anthony is really excited to have a little brother! Meghan's comment was that she would like to have another brother because brothers make her laugh. Julia just loves babies.

Now we need to start deciding on a name. So far the kids have suggested Draco (M, because she is in love with Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter movies) and Skywalker (A has a recent taste for Star Wars). J would probably go for Barney (guess why).

Mom and dad are gunning for something a little more sensible. We've narrowed it down to three choices that we like (see the poll on the right side of the page). We're also more than happy to hear any suggestions!

Temple Dedication

2008-03-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

On Feb. 10 President Thomas S. Monson dedicated the Rexburg Idaho temple. K & K & M were able to attend the dedication in the temple itself. It was a great experience. We are happy to have a temple so close by.

Previous to the dedication, we all were able to go to the temple open house, and K & K had the opportunity to act as ushers for part of the open house. Also, M participated in the cultural celebration the night before the dedication.

Early spring update (Part II)

2008-03-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

We've had an unusual amount of snow this year. Last reports indicate well over 200% of normal. At one point the piles on either side of the driveway were about 7 feet tall! Fortunately it is starting to melt now, though we still have between one and two feet on the yard (and some of the piles are still over 4 feet high). Poor K just about ruined his back shoveling snow every other morning, here after a good night of drifting new snow.

And here's a snapshot of the lunar eclipse on Feb. 20, taken from our back porch.

Early spring update (Part I)

2008-03-02T17:59:00.000-08:00

A few things have happened since my last post in December.

First of all, there's M's birthday. She turned 8 this year, so we had our first baptism in the family. M was really excited about it. Afterward we had a family party with uncles and aunts and cousins and grandparents and great grandparents.

Growing Kids

2007-12-19T15:39:00.001-08:00

M is taking a ballet and tap class that she loves. She wants to be a mom-dance teacher-author illustrator- baker when she grows up. She still loves reading and is torn between reading the American Girl books and Harry Potter. She is really excited to turn 8 in January and to be baptized. She has a part in the cultural celebration for the Temple dedication and looking forward to that. She is a great big sister.

A has grown a lot this year. Last spring he learned to ride a two-wheeler and he started Kindergarten this fall. He loves to be outside (all the time). He fished for the first time this summer and every weekend he asks if we can go fishing. He still loves cars and has already designed his own pinewood derby car to use when he is 8 and in cub scouts. He is a very good friend and brother.

J is a little sweetheart. She has learned to talk really well and never stops. Her favorite things to do are read books, play dress up, take care of babies, and play with friends. She is loves to get into things, especially make-up and band-aids. She loves people and always has a hug for everyone.

Projects

2007-12-15T13:37:00.001-08:00

This spring we spent night and day digging out weeds, leveling and moving dirt to get our yard ready for sprinklers, sod and shrubs. It took us a long time but it turned out really nice.

We went from this . . .

To this . . . .

We also planted our first big vegetable garden this year.
Even though we planted late we had a surprisingly good harvest.

2007 in Review

2007-12-14T11:21:00.000-08:00

Summertime

This summer we took a 1,976 mile road trip. First stop was at Grandma & Grandpa's in Foresthill, CA where we went to the fair, Lake Clementine and just had a great time being together. The next week we drove through some extremely hot parts of California and made our way to St. George, Utah where it was hotter still. We met up with both of my sisters and their families and got to attend my nephew's wedding. It was so fun to be all together to visit and just enjoy each other. The kids had so much fun with their cousins and loved our hotel pool. They still insist that we go back to St. George so they can swim in that pool again.

Fall is Here!!

2007-10-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

We took a small hike up the Big Elk Creek trail in Swan Valley, ID. The fall color was just gorgeous. We would have liked to stay a little longer but a thunder storm came rolling in. Instead we headed toward home and stopped for a world-famous square ice cream cone at Swan Valley gas station.