The Willes Clan

School Dance Festival

2011-05-27T13:14:00.002-06:00

It's the end of the school year and time for the Dance Festival! The school didn't do one last year, so this was our first time going to one. Every grade did a great job, including the teachers!

Sierra was so excited to perform. She wanted to download her song, "Fishin' in the Dark" so that she could practice at home!

Jaxson is in a bright blue shirt with dark pants. There were so many kindergarteners, it was hard to get a good shot of him. He starts in the back, then moved up to the front. He loves music and loves to dance. I asked him the other day to show me his dance and he wouldn't tell me anything about it. He said it was a surprise!

We're happy and sad that the school year is winding down, but definitely excited for summer!

Sierra's Gymnastics Exhibition

2011-05-25T10:41:00.002-06:00

Sierra's Gymnastics Exhibition was held on Tuesday night. It was set up with everything the same as when the boys did theirs. The girls only have four events: the floor, vault, uneven bars, and high beam.

Sierra did great at all her events and really enjoys gymnastics. The uneven bars is her favorite event. She was just accepted into All-Stars, which is an advanced group to help them prepare for the Legacy Center Team Gymnastics. Once she's old enough to try out for that, she'll actually be competing before judges. We are very proud of her and her accomplishments this year!

Jaxson's Gymnastics

2011-05-21T16:53:00.002-06:00

On Friday night, we went to watch Jaxson perform all his routines that he has learned this year in gymnastics. It was a bit comforting to know that most little boys performed at the same level that Jaxson did, which was basically just running around and needing a lot of help from the coaches!

They had the gym all decked out super cute with a western theme and they came galloping in with cowboy hats on their heads. They had big pictures of Woody and Bullseye on the walls with balloons all over the place. Then they split the boys up into their classes so they could rotate among all the events.

He was first up on the Rings, then moved to Pommel Horse, Floor, High Bar, Parallel Bars, and finished with Vault. After they finished, they announced their names one at a time so they could climb the podium to receive their medal and treat. They gave them a small bottle of Gatorade wrapped with a giant licorice rope and a few silly bands. It was tied up with a red bandana complete with a balloon. Jaxson was so excited to get his medal! Sierra took the videos of him while I took the pictures, so I'm apologizing in advance for the shakiness of the video! The pictures turned out really dark, so I'll have to get them edited before I add them on. Enjoy...

During his second vault, he apparently decided that he had messed up and ran down to do it a third time while everyone in the audience laughed. Ooops! At least he had fun this year learning some new tricks! Great job, Jaxson!

Let's Go Racing...

2011-04-03T12:49:00.007-06:00

On Thursday, March 3rd, we got a phone call from my brother-in-law. He had a patient who had tickets to the Nascar Race and wanted to give them to him. Since he was going out of town that weekend, he called us to see if we wanted to use them. We had mentioned before that we'd love to go to a race, and to let us know if they ever got a good deal on tickets. Since these tickets were free, we decided to make a spur of the moment trip and head to Vegas! We packed up and left on Friday after Jay got home from work. We made it to St. George and stopped to stay the night with my sister. We went on a picnic the next day to the park and picked up Jay's sister on the way. It was so nice to hang out in 70 degree weather! We headed to Vegas later in the afternoon. The kids spent the night in my sister's hot tub and went straight to bed! They were so excited to get in the hot tub and had talked about the whole way down.

Sunday morning my incredibly brave sister took our three kids, as well as her four kids, to church and Jay and I left for the race. Traffic was horrible and it took us over an hour to get there, even though my sister lives about 10 minutes from the track!

We made it time to find our seats and watch the jets from Nellis practicing their flying. They flew over the track just before the race, too!

It was so fun to hear the cars start up and the first time they came around the track was just amazing. There was a constant buzz in our ears!

It was a pretty uneventful race, but we were glad to experience it for the first time.

If we would have had more time, we definitely would have paid to go infield to the Neon Garage. The track was huge and there was so much to see and do. We had a great time and enjoyed our quick trip. The only regret was not spending enough time with our family while we were there. But, we will be back soon!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-18T18:45:00.006-06:00

The kids woke up on Thursday morning to a bunch of green! They had new shirts to wear to school, a bunch of green treats and other fun things. The girls had also painted our nails green on Wednesday night so we wouldn't get pinched in the morning!
I also planned a full day's menu of green!

Breakfast was green muffins, kiwi, apple juice and green eggs. Brooke wouldn't even try the eggs, even though she usually loves them!

For lunch we had green macaroni & cheese, green apples with caramel dip, and green Sunchips with kiwi strawberry Shasta.

Each of the kids came in and made their own Shamrock pretzels for dinner, complete with a sprinkling of cinnamon and green sugar. They were so yummy!

We also had green salad, pasta with pesto sauce, and a green lime drink that Jay lovingly called Leprechaun blood. The kids were a little distressed over how I obtained the blood!

The day was filled with talk of green, leprechauns, luck, and pots of gold. On Thursday morning, we woke up to exclamations of surprise coming from the girl's bedroom. Apparently Sierra had written a note to a leprechaun and set it on the floor with a piece of bread to tempt the leprechaun into coming into her room. All of this was a surprise to her parents! Fortunately, the bread was gone, but the sneaky leprechaun didn't leave any special notes or treats for her. I think our big, black leprechaun found his way into their room and ended up with a snack! Silly kids! I guess we better be on the lookout for more secret notes!

President's Day Fun!

2011-03-02T10:44:00.016-07:00

What to do when the kids are out of school...
We had the same idea as everyone else! We wanted to use our passes to go miniature golfing at Trafalga. It was snowing when we left Lehi and since that one is outdoors, we went to the Orem location. When we got there, the line was out the door, just to get to the desk to pay! We decided to stick around anyway. After we showed our passes, we decided to go on one of the outside courses anyway, since it was sunny and slightly warm. After waiting in line again for people to finish up and return their clubs, we were off!
The kids did great this time! They actually tried to golf on every hole and patiently waited for those in front of us to finish up. (Even Brooke!) We had a lot of fun and I think we'll get tons of use out of our passes this summer!

After golfing, we drove up to Midway to see the Ice Castles! I wanted to get up there when it got dark, because they light them up at night and it looks awesome, but we got there a bit early. They were still pretty cool to see. They were as tall as any house and had tunnels through them where you could walk.

The kids loved it, even though it was quite chilly!

Looking up through one of the tunnels.

Peeking through the ice!

Being silly!

Peek-a-boo!

Bright eyes! They matched the ice.

Surrounded by icicles!

I loved the tops of this castle!

I don't think they'll be open much longer, but you can check them out on their website:

brentsicecastle.blogspot.com

Our Valentine's Date

2011-03-01T11:21:00.005-07:00

Many years ago, we learned that it is crazy to try and go to dinner around Valentine's Day. We waited for over 2 hours once in a very crowded waiting room and vowed to never do that again! So, we decided to celebrate and take an overnight staycation at the Alaskan Inn in Ogden on Thursday, the 17th.
We finally got away after picking up the kids from school and leaving them in the capable hands of their grandparents. We decided to stop for dinner in Salt Lake and went to a restaurant that I've always wanted to try:

Dinner took us about two hours since they cook everything right at your table. I had checked the menu before we left to make sure that Jay would like it, since he tends to be a little picky. We both thought the food was great and had fun enjoying eachother's company. It was on the expensive side, but we thought the experience was fun.

After dinner, we headed up to Ogden to the Alaskan Inn. We've been there once before and thought it was awesome.

This time we stayed in the Kenai cabin which was decorated with a moose theme.

The little cabins are so cozy! We had so much fun relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet that comes from not having any kids around!

This was our life-size companion for the night! After a huge breakfast in the morning, we headed out to Park City to do some shopping. We always have to visit Harry & David's to get some chocolate covered blueberries (YUM!) and most of the shopping was done for the kids! But it was still nice to have a little getaway and have some fun!

Birthday Boy

2011-02-23T11:39:00.014-07:00

Jaxson just had his 6th birthday! We wanted to take him out to eat with just Mom and Dad, so we went to IHOP on Thursday morning while both the girls were at school. He was so funny about it. He wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse, or Bajio, but it was too early in the morning. I spent a lot of time trying to convince him that he would like IHOP since he loves pancakes. He finally agreed to try it out and thought it was great. He wants to go back every time we pass it on the road now.

He has never wanted a party before, but I guess this was the year! He invited a bunch of boys from his class and the neighborhood to have a pizza party on Friday night. The theme he picked was Phineas and Ferb. For those who don't know, it's a cartoon on Disney Channel and it's a pretty funny show. We decided to play a bunch of different games based on episodes from the show.

"Where's Perry?" It's a question that gets asked in every episode, so I printed out little pictures of Perry and hid them all over the room before the guests arrived. They each had to find one as the Perry music theme played in the background. It took a few minutes to find them, which worked out great since Jay arrived with the pizza as soon as they were done.

After the pizza, we went downstairs for more games. Phineas and Ferb love to play music and even have a one-hit wonder, so we had a dance/air guitar contest while listening to "Gitchie Gitchie Goo." The boys started out great, but ended up in a wrestling match on the floor!

In another episode, they meet Bigfoot. We had races down the family room in Jay's Bigfoot shoes. They had to run down, give Jay a high five, then race back and switch shoes with the next person in line. It was so funny to watch them try to run in those big shoes, but they had a blast!

We also played Hot Potato with Phineas and Ferb beanies, courtesy of the Disney Store. They had to throw them in a shoe box, then run down, pick them up and hand them to the next person in line. I think Team Phineas won!

The next game was "You're So Busted" Balloon Pop. Everyone had a balloon that they had to pop by sitting on it while we listened to Candace sing Busted. They thought it was great and even picked up the pieces when they were done! For the next few days, my kids had to play this until we ran out of balloons!

After games, we headed upstairs to open gifts. Jax got a bunch of great stuff from his friends and they all just could not sit still. They crowded around, anxious to see what was in each gift.

Next came the one request that Jax wanted: a Pinata. There's always horror stories and funniest home videos that involve these things, but I had to fulfill his one request. As soon as we started, I thought someone was going to die! We didn't even use the blindfold, but when you give a baseball bat to a bunch of boys, they just go crazy. We tried to tell them that they each only got one swing, and they needed to wait to hit it until Jay was told them he was ready, but all our requests fell on deaf ears. I was surprised when we ended this event without any holes in the wall, bumps on heads, or tears. I was literally scared to death!

Cleaning up the spoils from the Pinata! They got their goody bags stuffed completely full!

We headed back upstairs for cake and ice cream. Nobody had a Phineas and Ferb cake, and I didn't have time to make my own, so I found a plain one and put some of his figurines on it. This crazy cake actually worked out since the characters are surfing and it was covered in blue swirls! For the ice cream, we had Mad Scientist Sundaes in honor of Dr. Doofenshmirtz. They had a bunch of different toppings to choose from. I didn't get any pictures of those since there's no chance to take a breath when you're trying to serve 10 kids at the same time!

Blowing out the candles and making a wish!

After the party ended, we got out his family gifts and continued to celebrate.

He was a little excited to get DS games!

He also ended up with some movies, clothes, and a new Mario comforter set for his bedroom. We spent the rest of the night rearranging his bedroom and hanging his Mario Kart poster and drapes, and putting the new sheets and blankets on his bed.

After a long day, I tucked him into bed and he said, "Mom, thanks for making this the best birthday ever." That made it worth all the hard work, hoarse voice, and headache from the party!

Happy Birthday, Jaxson! We love you!

Another Happy Birthday!

2010-05-26T20:42:00.010-06:00

Sierra just turned 7! She had decided that she wanted to do a friend party this year, so we spent quite a few days getting ready for the big day! I forgot to take the camera in to her classroom on Friday, so I don't have any pictures. But we took her cupcakes and all her friends wrote down their birthday wish for her and combined it into a book. It was pretty cute. She was excited to be spotlighted.

After much deliberation, Sierra decided she wanted to do a Littlest Pet Shop theme for her party. Why? I have no idea. The only Littlest Pet Shops she has are ones that came from a McDonald's Happy Meal, so I was a bit surprised at her choice. But, Moms must do what makes their kids happy on their birthday, so we got the decor and planned the party!

I had a bit of fun planning the food! We had carrots for rabbit food, goldfish crackers for cat food, Scooby graham bones for dog food, animal cookies, and animal crackers. I couldn't resist some M&M's, so I just called those birdseed. For her cake, I got a big dog dish and made a trifle in it. I cut pound cake into cubes, lined the bottom, then topped it with strawberries and a cheesecake filling, then put the remaining cake cubes on the top. I thought the girls would be a little grossed out by it, but they loved the cake and ate it up!

I had to get extra long candles to go in her cake, but it worked out great.

As we were decorating for the party, Sierra and Brooke put a party hat on Cole. He actually left it on long enough to get a picture. Then he noticed it was on and immediately took it off. The girls just thought it was hysterical and couldn't wait to show Dad!

She got so much fun stuff from her party. She got a couple Littlest Pet Shop playsets, a Zhu Zhu Pet, Ballerina Barbie, My Little Ponies, and an Ariel Slip 'N Slide. After her friends went home, she opened a few gifts from us. We had taken her out earlier in the week to pick out a new bike. I keep forgetting to get a picture of it, but she picked out a High School Musical themed bike. We got one that is pretty big, but she has now mastered the art of jumping on and off since she can't quite reach the ground from the seat! She got some books, a Hannah Montana game, and a fashion stencil set from her brother and sister. I think she made out quite well!

For one of our activities, the girls decorated little boxes and turned them into houses for their Littlest Pet Shop. Once they were done decorating, they brought the box over and received a new pet. Sierra signed the adoption certificate and they had to give them a name. The girls loved it and were quite excited to take their new pet home.

We also went outside to play a few games. We played Animal Simon Says where all the actions had to be animals. Here they are being frogs and snakes!

We also played a game of musical lilypads. Instead of using chairs, I printed off pictures of lilypads and they used those to walk around. It was so funny to watch them try to jump on the paper when the music ended.

I think the party turned out great and Sierra had a fun time.

Some Fun Facts About Sierra

She is a total night owl! She stays up late, no matter what time we put her to bed. She is horrible to try to wake up in the morning and we've spent a lot of time fighting in the mornings before school.
She loves anything girly. She loves princesses, ponies, animals, painting her nails, dress-ups, Barbie, make-up, etc... I never got into that stuff when I was little, but I did learn a few things from my sisters!
She's not afraid of anything! She loves roller coasters, trampolines, bike rides, climbing trees, etc... She is a little daredevil and will attempt anything.
She loves pasta. I think she could sit down and eat a whole package, especially with white sauce. She also loves salad and ice cream. She definitely takes after her parent's sweet tooth and loves any treat.
When she drinks out of a straw, she sticks her tongue out underneath the straw. She has always done this, ever since she was little. I've tried to drink like her and end up spilling all over. I have no idea how she does it.
She is pretty quiet and shy when she's at school or church, but it's a whole different ball game at home. She's quite stubborn and always puts up a fight.
She loves movies, even scary ones. When she was little, her favorite movies were Jurassic Park and Gremlins. She never got nightmares and that is what she wanted to watch all the time. She still loves to be scared and watches Scooby Doo all the time. She also loves the Barbie movies and pretty much anything Disney.
She hates housework. She doesn't like to do chores and fights me on them all the time. She is quite the mess-maker and doesn't like to clean up after herself. Once in a while she'll be a good helper, but most of the time she's not.
She loves being outside. She likes to play with friends, riding bikes, swimming, swinging, and just running around. She loves summertime and can't wait for it to get here.
She still loves to cook and help me in the kitchen. Hopefully we can get some fun cooking time in this summer.
She's got an amazing memory! That girl can tell you about every little thing that has happened in her life. If you play memory with her, watch out! She'll beat you every time!
Her imagination runs wild! Her teacher loves reading all the stories she's written in class. They are very inventive and keep you laughing. I'll have to post one sometime!

They say you always get a kid that acts just like you. I know Sierra is mine. I think that is why we already butt heads sometimes, but we also love to go shopping together and hang out. She is such a joy to have in our family and is a sweetheart to all those who know her.

Happy Birthday, Sierra! We love you tons!

Bowling

2010-04-10T09:28:00.002-06:00

To keep ourselves busy during Spring Break, we decided to go see a movie. Unfortunately, I think everybody else had the same idea too! We couldn't get enough seats to sit together, so we changed our minds and decided to go bowling instead.
They opened a new Jack & Jills right here in Lehi and it was super nice. It wasn't even crowded! This was the first time our kids have been bowling and they loved it. Sierra had to start at the back and get a running start so she could throw her ball down the lane. It still took about 5 minutes to make it to the pins! Jaxson ended up doing a running, sliding on his knees kinda thing when he let his ball go. Crazy thing is, it worked and he knocked down quite a few pins. We used the metal thing for Brooke to push her ball down, but a couple of times she decided she wanted to do it like her brother and sister. Once she dropped it right in the gutter, and the other time I thought it was going to get stuck on the lane! We had a bunch of fun and decided we'll have to go again.
We did end up going to see How to Train Your Dragon, too. It was a really cute show, what I got to see of it anyway! Brooke still won't sit still at the movie theatre. It doesn't matter how much popcorn or treats we give her, she still wants to walk around. She also became fascinated with the guy in front of us who had a bald head. I think she touched him about 5 times! Yeah, that's not embarrassing or anything! Jaxson was also a little loud and had to get up and move around a bit. Oh well, that's what happens when you take little kids to the movies!

Career Day

2010-03-28T17:20:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, Sierra had Career Day at school and the kids were allowed to dress up. I swear I didn't influence her in any way, but she chose to be a "Baker". She picked everything out and was even able to take a few props. There were a lot of artists and animal doctors in her class. She had fun and loves doing dress-up days. She's the last one on the top row.

11 Years Together

2010-03-16T10:29:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was our 11th Anniversary! Time has just flown by and we are as happy together now as we have ever been! We celebrated by going out to dinner at one of our favorite places: Goodwood Barbecue. It is soooo good. We always get their ginormous onion rings and split the three-meat plate. We also did a lot of shopping. It is so much easier to get things accomplished without the kids trailing along behind us! Actually, most of the time they are running away from us and into other people. But, one of our favorite things is just to hang out and be together. Jay was looking for some nice clothes to wear to his meetings this week, and I've had my eye out for a new camera since ours kerplunked a few weeks ago. We were both successful at finding what we needed and I can't wait for my camera to get charged this morning!

Here's a little history about us:

We met at Blockbuster Video in 1996. Jay had just returned from his mission and I was only working there a few more weeks before I left for school at SUU. I was rather disappointed that I was quitting right when this new, totally hot, guy had just started working there! As luck would have it, I moved back home after a year and got my old position back at Blockbuster. Jay was still there and I was excited to get to know him. It took 5 months before I was able to get him to ask me out. You see, I'm kinda old-fashioned and wasn't going to make the first move, and Jay is kinda slow and didn't get it together for awhile. After a few months, we were going out quite often, even though it took forever before he kissed me. My mom and sisters had quit asking me about it every night. They just figured he never would. Now he claims it was just a wierd circumstance since we worked together and he wasn't sure how it would work out. Seems like it ended up working out pretty well!

We were engaged a year after we started dating, and got married in the Salt Lake Temple after the tradition of our parents. It was a warm, windy day in March, and it was the best day of our lives.

We are the type of couple who loves to do everything together. We never spend any time apart, if it can be helped, and we never get sick of eachother. We love sports, whether it is participating, or watching them. We love the outdoors and spending time hiking, biking, and camping. We are best friends and companions for eternity! I couldn't ask for a better husband and father. Jay is the love of my life and my soul mate forever!

Happy Birthday, Jaxson!

2010-02-13T12:00:00.004-07:00

Jaxson turned 5 on Thursday! We celebrated by taking him to Toys-R-Us to pick out a new bike. His old one was getting too small. We walked around the store for awhile looking at toys, then he wanted to go to McDonalds for lunch. We had to get back home pretty quick so Dad could make it to his doctor's appointment. While Dad was gone, Brooke went down for a nap and Jax went to his room for a quiet time so I could get the cake made and set out his gifts. He wanted everything to be Mario Brothers, and we found a picture of a DS cake online, so that is what he picked, along with some mushroom cupcakes on the side!

He didn't want to have a big party with friends, so we just celebrated with the family, and both grandparents stopped by. He got a MarioKart hat, some Playmobil Pirates, a Wii game, Camo hat, Nerf gun, and pop gun with a coonskin cap! He said that everything was his favorite and he really enjoyed his birthday.

He has also picked to go to Kangaroo Zoo for his activity. We didn't have time to go on his birthday, so we'll try and go there next week. He did have a chance to take his bike out and try it since the weather has been so nice. Next step... take the training wheels off!

Our Favorite Things About Jaxson:

He's obsessed with Nintendo. It's the first thing he wants to do when he wakes up and the only thing he wants to do all day. He's pretty lost when he doesn't get to play. He loves Mario and the kids usually pretend that they are the characters. I think all the neighborhood kids now know who Bowser, Mario, and Peach are.
He's a total sweetheart. He loves to give you hugs and kisses and cuddle with you on the couch to watch a show. He steals the hearts of all his teachers in church and in school.
He's just a funny kid. He makes funny faces all the time and has funny little mannerisms. He's fun to watch while he's running around playing and always keeps us laughing.
He still loves pirates and trains. He'll play with his GeoTrax and his Playmobil Pirates for hours. He loves to set up the whole city and run all his trains around the tracks. He loves trucks and always runs to the window to wave at the garbage truck driver when he hears him coming. He still says that when he grows up he wants to be a garbage man and a train driver!
He loves to read books. He probably uses it more as an excuse to stay out of bed a little bit later at night, but he always wants us to read him a story.
He loves school. He'll graduate from Discovery Day Preschool this year and he's learned a lot. He's quite good at writing his name and we're working on his reading.
He's still clumsy! I keep hoping he'll grow out of this and that it's just a stage! He's constantly running into walls, falling off chairs, and just getting scrapes and bruises everywhere. We're lucky he hasn't broken anything yet!
He's a pretty quiet, mellow kid. His sisters definitely rule the roost and he's pretty good to just follow them and do whatever they want. Brooke, in particular, likes to pester him to death. I hope they become better buddies as they grow older. Oftentimes we'll be hanging out with friends, playing, and he disappears. I think sometimes he just likes to find a quiet space to be by himself.
He loves to take long baths. I think he'd stay in there for a few hours if we would let him.
He loves to eat at McDonalds, M&M's, watching movies, Scooby Doo, Planet Heroes, Transformers, pizza, lasagna, and helping me in the kitchen.

We love you, Jax! We are glad you are part of our family and hope you had a great birthday!

Disneyland

2010-01-25T15:37:00.008-07:00

We went to Disneyland in October and had so much fun! It was the first time for all the kids, as well as Jay. I haven't been since I was little, so I was super excited. We got in on a Sunday night and only missed one exit on the freeway and had to turn around just once. Jay was a little nervous to drive down there and I sure was glad that I didn't have to! We had 3-Day park hopper passes and spent all day there from sun-up to sun-down. The kids are at the age right now where they just wanted to see the characters. We had to wait in line for hours to see the princesses and the fairies! Sleeping Beauty asked if the "Little Prince" (Jax) wanted to go stand by her, but he wasn't going to have any of that. He steered clear of them!

They were so excited to see the main characters. We have to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse every day, so they know them pretty well. When Brooke saw Mickey, she went running straight into his arms. It was so cute! He was really cute interacting with them, too. The only ones we didn't see were Donald and Daisy. We told the kids that they must be on vacation.

Toon Town was really cute and the kids had a lot of fun just playing around with everything. As far as rides go, the girls don't have any problems. They are the daredevils and want to go on everything. Jax is the scaredy cat. We made the mistake of stopping in front of Splash Mountain and watching a few of the logs go over the waterfall. After that, there was no way he wanted to go on it. I took Sierra and of course, she loved it. Jay took Jax and he started crying, so they made them sit in the back of the log together. After they got done, he said he liked it except for the big waterfall. He did just fine on Space Mountain, though. I think it was a good thing that it was dark!

Tinkerbell was really cute with the kids too. Jax wouldn't go near her, so she started chasing him all around. He kept trying to hide behind us and the trees that were around. It was so funny, but she finally got him to give her a high five. Brooke was so excited to see her and gave her a huge hug.

Since we went in October, they had all their Halloween decorations out and the villains also came out for pictures. Jafar was pretty creepy, but the kids didn't seem to mind. When they went to see the Old Hag from Snow White, Jax was scared of her and wouldn't get anywhere close. Brooke stood right next to her until she put her cape over her face and then she came running back to us. Sierra was the only brave one!

We spent the third, rainy day at California Adventure. No one was in line for Monsters Inc. so we walked right on. Sierra and I took off for Tower of Terror and Jay took the other two to wait in line for the Playhouse Disney. I think this was the only ride that I've ever seen Sierra get nervous on. She didn't make a peep through the whole thing! Usually she's screaming and laughing and having a good time. When we got done, we had to run and barely made it to the Playhouse Disney, Live show. She did say that she liked Tower of Terror later on.

The kids did amazing, but were pretty tired by the end of the third day. I think three days was just about perfect for us. We did almost everything we wanted. The Halloween fireworks show was amazing, the rides were awesome, and the walks were long. All in all we had a great time and are already planning our next trip!

December Activities

2010-01-23T22:07:00.004-07:00

Yes, I know I'm a little late, but better late than never, right?
Our holidays get so crazy since Jay has to work so much, but we still manage to find time to go out and do some fun things. We have made it a tradition to go to the Zoo Lights at Hogle Zoo. There usually aren't too many animals out, but the tigers are always up and about. Unfortunately for us this year, it was super cold. I think it was in the teens on the night we went, but we decided to bundle up and brave it anyway. Even with the hot chocolate, the kids were still freezing. We went straight to see the big cats, then had to warm up in the reptile house. We made it to the carousel and actually didn't get too cold going for a ride there. We stopped in the gift shop, and finally made it back to the truck with all 50 fingers and 50 toes unfrozen! Once the kids stopped complaining, I think they enjoyed the night! Throughout the month, I did 25 Days of Christmas for the kids. Each day they got a small gift, went out for a fun night, or did a special activity. We made gingerbread cookies this year, and it actually took us two nights to get them done. The kids always love cooking in the kitchen with me and had a blast making their gingerbread man look special. You can tell how thrilled Jay is that I took a picture of him with his cookie! We frosted them with white chocolate, and they were super yummy!

The Holt Family Christmas Party is always held the Saturday before Christmas. Steph and Jim were able to come up from St. George to party with us. Each family planned an activity to do. Steph played "Don't Eat Santa" with everyone and Alanna brought stuff for the kids to make visors. I had the kids make reindeer cookies and they played Bingo while waiting for the cookies to get done. We had tons of finger foods for dinner, opened presents, and had a great time together.

I never seem to get pictures of the Willes party. I think it's because there are so many people crammed into the house and it is just chaos! We always have a great dinner, and end with presents galore. It's amazing that we even get out of there with the stuff that we're supposed to!

After the Willes party, we go home to have our own Christmas traditions. My camera was not working very well, so a lot of my pictures didn't work out. But, the kids opened their Christmas jammies and we read the story of the birth of Christ from the scriptures. The kids had written their letters to Santa the night before, so we made sure they were in the mailbox and that we set out cookies and milk. Then it was off to bed!

Christmas morning came and of course, I was the first one up. Jax was next. He walked into our room and then headed out the door to "see if Santa came." We had to explain to him that he had to wait for his sisters. Brooke woke up about 15 mintues later and like usual, we had to wake Sierra up to get her out of bed. After lining up on the stairs, they all walked calmly down to the living room to see what was there. We spent the morning opening presents, movies, cd's, games, and more.

Jenn and Kyle came over for dinner that night. We had the traditional ham, cheesy potatoes, rolls, green salad, and juice with Sprite. We had plans to visit Temple Square, but those got forgotten when we started playing the new Super Mario Bros. Wii game that I got from Jax. The next four hours we traded off playing, eating, screaming, and laughing. To quote Kyle and Jenn, "Good times!"

Our Christmas was awesome and Brooke is still going around telling everyone they are going to be on the naughty list and not get any presents!

Trick or Treat

2009-11-04T13:55:00.003-07:00

Saturday was filled with fun! We had my parents, sister, and brother come down to celebrate Halloween with us. We had dinner, then got the kids ready to go trick-or-treating that night. We changed up the costumes a little since it gets pretty cold at night.
Brooke was ready to go this time! She got right in her bunny costume and had a great time walking around and getting treats. She was happy as long as Dad was there to hold her hand and walk beside her. After we got home, Jay turned his back for about 5 seconds and when he turned back, she had two suckers and a tootsie roll in her mouth! Yes, we've had to ration the candy in our house!
Jax dressed up as a lion, but ended up acting more like the cowardly lion! He had been sick that morning, but acted fine as the day wore on. He said he wanted to go with the group, but every time we walked up to a house, he would just sit down on the porch and wait for the door to open. He was pretty mellow and only made it down a couple small streets. I carried him down to Wendy's house so she could see their costumes and by that time, Jax and Brooke were done.
Sierra didn't have another costume this year, so she went as an angel again. When the others went home, she said she wasn't done, so I stayed with her and we finished walking around the whole neighborhood. She said she wanted a whole bucket full of candy and she got pretty darn close! There was one house we went to where she knocked and the door suddenly swung open and a guy jumped at her with a scary mask on. At the same time, another guy came running out of the garage onto the front porch. She didn't scream or jump or anything! She just stared at them. It was pretty funny and they were surprised they didn't scare her.
Alex jumped right in and had to make sure he was in the front of the line every time we went up to the door. He definitely likes suckers since he picked those out the most! Geoff and Alanna didn't stay too long, but we're glad they came down.
When we got back, we had donuts and watched Halloween is Grinch Night. Jax went right to bed, but the girls were pretty wired. It took a little bit for them to calm down and get to bed that night! Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T14:31:00.010-06:00

We kicked off our Halloween activities by carving pumpkins on Thursday night. The kids have a blast getting messy with the pumpkin guts. They don't mind the icky, slimy, squishy, feeling at all! I think we decided that next year Jay and I will get all the pumpkins cleaned out before we even start the carving. Sierra actually did okay cleaning hers out, but the other two just make a mess!

They picked their patterns out and the carving commenced. They turned out great this year!

Friday was a crazy day! Brooke did not want to wear a costume, so it was a bit of a chore to get her dressed. Then we headed over to help with Jax's preschool party in the morning. We played Halloween Bingo, made popcorn balls, read stories, and acted like Halloween monsters. When class ended, all the parents were in the parking lot so the kids could trunk or treat. Who knew it would be snowing!

Then we headed straight over to Sierra's school to get a spot to watch the Costume Parade. It was so fun to see all the cute costumes the kids were wearing. The only problem was the fact that they walked by so fast, you couldn't see all of them well enough!

Sierra also had her first Halloween party right after school. She had fun decorating cookies, making spiders, and doing pumpkin bowling. Then it was home for pizza and movie night. We have to do it all again tomorrow night!

School Pics

2009-10-04T12:31:00.004-06:00

I took Jax and Brooke over to Sierra's school on picture day to get their pictures done since I wanted them all to match.

Jax went first and watched as the guy hit himself with the chicken and was being goofy. Jax was laughing so hard at him and then he turns to me and says, "Mom, that guy is funny!" Needless to say, we got a pretty good picture of him.

Then it was Brooke's turn. I set her up on the pedastal and the guy started in with his antics. She just stared at him. I was reminded again why I haven't taken her in to get her pictures done for a while. She never smiles. It is even hard for me to get a smile out of her when I'm holding the camera at home! He couldn't get her to crack one little grin, so he told me to come stand by the camera to get her to smile. I told her to show me her teeth and smile and she finally did... once. At least we caught it and her picture turned out cute too.

On the other hand, Sierra will be getting retakes as her eyes were half closed. She came home and told me that she looked sleepy in her picture! Hopefully the retakes will be better!

Silly Sleepers

2009-09-25T21:39:00.002-06:00

I know that I probably look amazing when I'm asleep, but it is always funny to check on the kids and find them in the wierdest positions. Whether it's falling asleep in the stroller, wearing dress-ups, on Mom and Dad's floor by the dog, or waiting at the top of the stairs for Dad to get home, it always makes me laugh!

Bye, Bye, Summer

2009-09-21T10:55:00.009-06:00

Wow, we had such a busy summer. Here's some of what we did:

For Labor Day, we hiked up to the G in Pleasant Grove. Jay had promised Sierra that we would go see what it was made of. I took Cole and Sierra, while Jay brought up the rear with Jax and Brooke. He had to carry Brooke the whole way, so he definitely got his exercise in. The trail was pretty steep and was only wide enough for one person, so it was quite the experience. It was a good thing we took our dog, he ended up pulling me all the way up and down the mountain! Sierra did great! She hiked and kept up with me until we were about 90% of the way there, then she decided she was too tired to go any further. So I grabbed her hand and Cole pulled us the rest of the way there. We stopped at the top for some snacks and more water. It took us about 2 hours, but it was a lot of fun. The view from the top was amazing and I'm still surprised that all of us made it up there! We were also able to take a long drive up Mirror Lake Highway to the Provo River Falls. It is such a beautiful drive. We stopped at 7-11 to stock up on treats and Slurpees, and we also took a picnic lunch with us. The weather was cool and we played in the water, hiked around, and even went canoeing in Uncle Kyle's raft. We'll have to plan a camping trip up there for next year!

It was nice to play in the water on some of those extra hot days! We went to the splash park in Riverton with our neighbors one day. We packed a lunch and played out in the sunshine for a couple hours. The water area was cute and not crowded at all! They also had a regular playset area there that the kids all played on. We'll keep this on our list of free, fun things to do for next summer.

For Pioneer Day, we decided to spend the day playing in the sprinklers, then we set up the tent and had popcorn and movie night outside in the backyard. I had Jay bring out the twin mattresses from the kids' beds so it was extra comfy out there. Jay and Brooke ended up inside for the night, but I stayed out with the kids. It was rainy and windy that night, but the kids didn't hear any of it. They slept like logs all night. I was up all night and swear there was a skunk trying to get in the tent to get at the popcorn crumbs the kids scattered all over. Yes, I know we were just in the backyard, but there are skunks and racoons all over in the fields around our house! Cole kept barking all night and I definitely smelled one! Needless to say, Mom was pretty tired the next day!

We also made the super long trip to Cabelas! We shopped there for Jay's birthday and Father's Day and go whenever we feel the urge. The kids love the fish, the animals, and the shooting gallery.

And here's one last bunch of pictures we took while we picnicked up American Fork Canyon. The kids love to be outdoors, hiking and climbing around. We have plans to do a lot more hikes next year. I think we'll be needing an annual pass!

Happy Birthday, Brooke!

2009-07-11T23:04:00.004-06:00

Brooklyn turned 2 on Friday. I don't think she quite knew what was going on that day, but we still had a fun time!

Grandma and Grandpa Holt came and picked her up in the morning to take her to Build-A-Bear. They've done it for the other kids, and now it was Brooke's turn. I don't think my mom was very happy that I made her take the camera, but too bad! They showed her all the animals and she had an armful or about 4 of them...until they got to the end. Then Grandpa showed her the Black Lab and since it looks just like our real dog, Cole, it was all over from there. They couldn't talk her out of that one. She loved pushing the pedals to stuff her and fluff her. Grandma dressed her in a cute pink outfit, so they named her Colette. Thanks for taking her, she loves her dog!

After a long day at the mall, she came home and took a nap. I ended up waking her up about 4:30 so we could have her party. She was a little tired still and not quite in the mood. All she wanted to do was eat her Tinkerbell cupcakes! I think she still had fun and enjoyed playing with all her presents.

Some fun things about Brooke:

She's our early riser! She's always the first one up in the morning and isn't happy until you get her a cup of milk and prop her up on the bed with pillows and her blankie to watch a "Baby Show". (Baby Einsteins)
She has tons of funny things she does and faces that she pulls. She can lip sync, and pumps her fist and says "Yes!"
She always wants to do what her brother and sister are doing, even though she's not big enough. If you ask how old she is, she'll say 3, even though we've been working on her saying 2 for a couple months.
She loves dogs. She calls every dog, Cole. The other morning we woke up and found her lying on the floor asleep, right next to him. She's not scared of him one bit and likes to feed him and yells at him too.
She has a potty mouth! She is always telling people to "Shut Up". At least she doesn't say swear words, but it is a little embarrassing having your two year old yelling that. She especially does it when we're driving in the truck and can't reach her and make her stop.
She loves her blankie and drags it everywhere. It made it through Sierra and Jaxson, but I don't think it's going to survive Brooke. She also loves stuffed animals and won't go to bed and night unless we tuck her in with "Rar" (Teddy) and "Baby" ( a Snugglekinz Cheetah).
She is Trouble with a capital T! She is always climbing on things and getting into trouble. She tries to pour her own drinks and usually just makes a mess. She gets into Mom's make-up all the time so she can look "pretty".
She is such a busy kid and is always moving, running, jumping, twirling, climbing, you name it! She doesn't sit still long enough to read books or watch movies. She always has to be going.
She loves Tinkerbell and Micky and Minnie Mouse. She's also into Barbie since Sierra likes to watch those shows. At bedtime she has to have her music on and it always differs between Barbie and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She loves to sing and knows all the words.

She is such a fun, cute little girl even if she runs us ragged! We love having her in our family. Happy Birthday, Brooke!

Temple Open House

2009-07-11T22:56:00.004-06:00

We took the chance to go to the Qquirrh Mountain Temple Open House as a family last Thursday. We invited my parents to go along since everyone else in our family has already been. It was a good experience for us. When we walked into the Celestial Room, Jaxson looked around and said "Wow!". I think Brooke liked the Baptismal Font. She just kept saying "Water" over and over again. Then again, after we got in the car, I asked the kids what their favorite part was and Sierra said, "The cookies." (They gave out cookies and water after you were finished walking through.) Oh well, it's always nice to get away and feel the Spirit!

A Night at the Game

2009-07-09T10:19:00.005-06:00

Sierra's elementary school did so well on one of their reading programs that all the students earned tickets to the OWLZ Baseball game. Our neighbors weren't able to make it, so they gave us their tickets. We met up with a few of Jay's brothers there, and saw a bunch of our neighbors and friends. Sierra was even able to say hi to her Kindergarten teacher. We had a great time just hanging out. We made it to the seventh inning, then decided to head home. It was already after 9:00 and the kids were getting tired and were ready to go. It was a fun night, though and we're always up for a ball game!

Jaxson and Jay left to go to the bathroom and on their way back, the owl stole Jax's hat. When we went back for pictures, he wouldn't go near him, so only the girls are in this one!

Surprise!

2009-07-08T10:28:00.012-06:00

Technically, my dad's birthday is on July 9th, but last week was the only time my sisters could come up from Vegas and St. George, so we decided to surprise my dad. We had planned to meet for dinner at Goodwood Barbecue (Yum!) without him knowing. My sisters drove up that morning and since my mom isn't very subtle about getting Dad to do what she wants, she had Jenn and Kyle invite him to the dinner. When they pulled into the parking lot, they saw our truck, so Dad thought Jenn would be making a pregnancy announcement. He sure did get a surprise when he walked in and saw everyone else there!

All I can say is thank goodness we had our own room! It was pretty loud and crazy in there with 10 grandkids under the age of 9! Dinner was awesome though, and we soon headed back to my parent's house for cake and ice cream.

Yes, we really did get 60 candles on the cake! The first ones that were lit were pretty much gone by the time the last ones were done, and the bow on the cake even caught fire! I'm surprised the fire alarm didn't go off amid all the smoke! Dad got all the candles blown out, with the help of all the grandkids.

Brooke sure enjoyed the frosting, and playing with their dog, Kodi. We just hung out and played games for the rest of the night.

The next day we headed up AF Canyon to do the things my dad enjoys the most. We had a campfire, went on a hike, had a picnic, roasted marshmallows, and had a blast. My little brother, Geoff, had gone up early to save us a spot. There was a gigantic tree which shaded us for most of the day. The kids enjoyed climbing in it and Steph and Geoff rigged Kodi's leash up in the tree to make a swing for the kids. We also ended up having a marshmallow fight, water fight, and an all around good time. It was fun to just hang out for the day and enjoy the mountain air! The kids were pretty tired and stinky that night, so it was a round of baths and straight to bed.

Saturday we got up and cleaned the house to get ready for the Fourth of July Celebration. Like most of our neighbors, we host a BBQ for our family and watch the firework show from Thanksgiving Point. We had yummy taco salads for dinner, and the kids did a craft where they made sun catchers. We then started a game of baseball in the backyard. The game got interrupted when water came shooting over the fence from Wassmer's backyard. Of course, a full on water fight errupted and the game was over. We let off some of our own fireworks, then moved to the backyard to watch the big show. It is so nice to not have to worry about big crowds and traffic. The kids can run around and be loud without disturbing anyone. We all had a great time even though it was a pretty late night.

I love celebrating Independence Day! I'm so grateful for our country. I loved having the opportunity to go to Washington DC a while back. It was amazing and awe-inspiring to see the monuments and history of our country. It was incredible to me to walk on the same ground that so many amazing men and women did. I'm thankful for the sacrifices they made and the sacrifices that our soldiers are still making today. Happy Birthday, America!

Wild Weekend

2009-06-09T19:20:00.003-06:00

Last week was kinda crazy! I went to Girl's Camp from Monday thru Wednesday. On Friday, Jay and Jax went on the Father/Sons Campout with my dad and his ward. They had to drive a couple hours to get to the campground. They packed so much stuff in my dad's Navigator that Jax was pretty much sitting in a hole in the third seat. Jay and Kyle were in the middle and Geoff sat up front with my dad.

They had a great time just hanging out and playing with fire. Jax said his favorite part was sleeping in the tent and have stick races in the river. Both Jay and I have definitely caught the camping bug now. We'll have to plan a little trip next month with the whole family.

While the boys were gone, the girls decided to get together and have a little fun. I took Sierra and Brooke out shopping, then my mom and sister, Jenn came over. We cooked spaghetti for dinner, then gave ourselves pedicures. We soaked our feet, put on a foot mask, lotioned them up, and painted them. Since Brooke can't hold still, she was done in about 5 minutes, while the rest of us had 10 more minutes to soak. We had to paint her fingernails to keep her occupied, but it still wasn't enough. She splashed around in her bucket and ended up dumping most of it on the floor. As soon as we were done, it was off to bed for Brooke.

In the meantime, Jenn had convinced Sierra to sleep over at her house. I wanted to make some flower hair clips for the girls, so we started on that for a few minutes before Sierra and Jenn took off. They watched movies at her house and went to bed.

It was quiet in the house and I didn't quite know what to do with myself with everyone gone. It was a nice change. I read for awhile and went to bed.

Brooke was up bright and early as always and I was able to just spend some time with her. That usually doesn't happen with two older siblings in the house. Jenn brought Sierra back over around 11 and ended up staying and going to her soccer game with us. The boys had just gotten home before we did and they were immediately sent to the shower to rid themselves of the campfire smell. Everyone had a good time and it was nice to have everyone home again!

Soccer!

2009-06-05T22:26:00.003-06:00

When I asked Sierra what she wanted to do this summer, she said she wanted to play soccer like her cousin, Jessie. Well, I don't think she quite knew what soccer was all about. She was so excited to start, but quickly started to complain that it was too tiring and she had to run too much!
We've played all through May, and now have only three games left. We've tried to explain to her that she just can't quit and leave her team, but she doesn't understand the concept yet. She does enjoy playing once we get her there, it is just getting her ready for it that we encounter the problems. I think the part she enjoys the most is getting the treat at the end of the game!
Oh well, at least we know not to put her in again next year!

Sierra's Year in Pics

2009-05-30T22:40:00.008-06:00

Sierra passed Kindergarten! We didn't really doubt that she would, but her first year at the big school is over. The next hurdle will be going all day long next year when she's in First Grade.

I have been so lucky to have gotten such great teachers for my kids. Mrs. Wright was awesome and Sierra has totally loved having her as a teacher. There were so many fun things that she did with the kids. Jay was able to go to Donut Date with her, and also took Cole in for Pet Day. I was able to volunteer once a month for her class and it was great to get to know the kids in her class.

We went to her Kindergarten Program on Thursday, where they had picked a song from each month to sing to their parents. I couldn't get the whole video to upload, so here's just a few of the songs they picked. Her class did a great job!

Congratulations, Sierra on your perfect Report Card! We are so proud of you!

Jax's Year in Pics

2009-05-27T20:42:00.002-06:00

Well, Jaxson made it through his first year of preschool. He goes to Discovery Day Preschool and his teacher is Miss Lacy. He has loved going to school and has learned a lot. His teacher says he's really smart and it seems he stays on task and does what he's supposed to. (At least we've never had a complaint!)

She does a great job with the kids and they have done tons of fun things throughout the year. I know the pictures are small, but I tried doing a slideshow and it didn't work, so I just got mad and quit trying for a week. Ugh, sometimes these things are a pain!

Anyway, we're proud of you, Jax and all the things you've accomplished this year. Keep up the good work!

Happy Birthday, Sierra!

2009-05-16T23:29:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was Sierra's 6th birthday. I made her cake on Friday night so that it could cool overnight before I frosted it. Early Friday morning, Jay and I went downstairs to find Brooke on the counter with her hands all over in the cake! Luckily, I was able to salvage most of it, but it didn't give us a very good start to the day.

We didn't do much in the morning since I still had to go out and run a bunch of errands. Jay got her off to school so I could bring home the balloons and get the house decorated and the cake done while she was gone. I took treats over to her school that afternoon since I was volunteering in her class that day. They sang to her and asked her questions about her birthday before going out to recess. After I got home, I frosted her cake and we got everything ready for when she got home from school.

We headed out to dinner at Fazoli's since she loves pasta, then came back for the birthday party. Her grandparents came over while she opened her presents and had cake and ice cream with us. She got new roller skates, a Webkinz, the movies Bolt and Fairytopia, and some books. She got a new DS game from Grandma & Grandpa Holt, and a cute apron from Grandma & Grandpa Willes. Of course, she had to try out the roller skates, with a little help from Grandma!

We ran out of time to do an activity, so we'll have to go out this week and do something fun.

Fun Facts About Sierra:

She loves playing Nintendo: the Wii and her DS. She's actually quite good at Mario Kart and occasionally beats us!
She is a whirlwind of activity. She always likes to be doing something and when she opens gifts, she goes through and plays with them all in about 5 minutes. She never takes her time on anything because she needs to get on with the next project!
She is a night owl! Yep, she is up until 10 or 11 every night, no matter what time we put her to bed. She is so hard to wake up in the mornings and gets pretty ornery when you try to get her out of bed.
She loves to cook and help me out in the kitchen. She likes to color and do workbooks. She also loves to read books and watch movies. She's always the first to remind us about movie night.
She most definitely got the stubborn gene from her mom. There's no talking her out of anything once her mind is made up.
She is very smart. She used to say hi to people when she was only 6 months old and it would freak them out. She does a great job in school and loves to learn. She also remembers everything. She'll say stuff about things and I have no idea how she remembers them.
She's very observant. It's hard to beat her in a game of Memory. She also showed Grandpa Holt the exact bus route to school the other day when they were babysitting.
She's a total Daddy's Girl! She knows how to push his buttons and how to get whatever she wants from him. She always wants to be with him and have him take care of her.
She loves to play outside. She is always sneaking out of the house just to run around the yard. She loves the park, riding her bike, and anything to do with the outdoors.
Sierra has no fear. She is a little daredevil and will try anything. She loves all the rides at Lagoon and wants to go on the big ones, it kinda reminds me of someone!
She loves all things girly, including princesses, dress-ups, Barbie, and more. She loves to paint her toenails and put on make-up.

She's such a fun person to be around and says some of the funniest things. She can talk your ear off if you let her. Happy Birthday, Sierra! We love you and are so proud of you.

Quick Update

2009-04-28T23:10:00.002-06:00

Amazingly, Sierra hasn't seemed bothered by her toes at all. I think she's absolutely crazy! Her toes are still bleeding on the top, under the nail, but they are actually healing quite well. You'll be glad to hear that I have been changing her bandages everyday without the slightest side effects! I don't know what was wrong with me that day.

She has been wearing sandals everyday since Friday and has been a real trooper. She wanted to go to gymnastics on Monday, so I talked with her coach before class to fill her in on what happened. I cringed everytime she jumped, rolled, or ran, but she said they didn't hurt a bit. Soccer practice was tonight, and this was the first time that she has actually put on shoes. I think it's a good thing her cleats are a little big, or her bandaged toes never would have fit. She said they hurt a little bit, but it still didn't slow her down at all. She has absolutely amazed me with the way she has dealt with her injury. Then again, it would be nice to have her just relax on the couch with me a little bit. I don't think she knows the meaning of the word!

My Career Choice Reaffirmed

2009-04-24T22:26:00.002-06:00

Warning: Reading this post may cause dizzyness, queasyness, and light-headedness!

I remembered today why I will never have a job in the medical field! Unfortunately, we had a little accident at our house. I had just gotten finished making lunch and called the kids to come and eat. We usually eat lunch at the counter and they have to lift up the barstools which are laying down on the floor. Why are they lying down? Because Brooke likes to use them to climb up on top of the counter and we don't want to have any accidents with her falling off of it like Jaxson did when he was almost two years old. Lucky us, we had an accident anyway.

As Sierra was lifting the barstool, she dropped it, right on her toes. I was standing at the counter cutting their hotdogs when it happened. She let out a blood-curdling scream and then jumped up and ran up to her room to jump on her bed. A few seconds later she yelled out that she was bleeding, so I ran up there and found blood all over her hands and foot. I started cleaning it off, then went to check out her toes and that's when I lost it. I thought I was going to faint, so I told her to hold the paper towel on her toes and feeling quite stupid, I called my neighbor to come over to help me. I went back up and tried to look at them again, but it was just not going to happen. I could see that they were bleeding, turning purple, and it was fairly obvious that she was going to lose her toenails. Cassie came and took a look at them and got them bandaged up while I called Jay and had him come home. Sierra had been crying for her daddy the whole time and I couldn't get her calmed down.

I called the doctor to see if we could get her in, but we couldn't get in until 1:50. This whole event happened around 11:30. I took her downstairs and turned on a movie to try and take her mind off it, but she was so tense, her little fists were clenched and her arms were shaking. I was afraid she might go into shock, so I put a blanket on her and got her a drink and kept trying to calm her down. I put ice packs on her toes and waited for Jay to get home. As soon as he showed up, she calmed right down and was acting better. She would still cry out every once in awhile that it hurt, and if we left the room, she'd yell for us, but at least she wasn't freaking out still.

After a few hours at the doctor and the hospital for X-rays, they got home. The doctor said there wasn't much he could do and just sent them home. We'll take her back on Monday to make sure things are healing well and there isn't any infection. Her skin on the end of her toes was already dead and if her toenails don't fall off, he might take them off himself. We'll see what happens.

The good news is that there weren't any fractures in her toes, so they'll be sore for a few days, but by tonight she was acting just fine. She just started playing soccer and was going to have her first game tomorrow, so she was disappointed that she was going to miss it. Hopefully it will get rained out and she won't have to miss anything!

I would post a picture, but I don't think I could handle looking at it on my blog! I was reminded again today why I chose not to be a nurse or a doctor!

Come See Me!

2009-04-14T19:09:00.003-06:00

Don't miss this great opportunity to get gifts for Mother's Day, Weddings, Graduation, and Teacher Appreciation. I'll be doing a drawing for all who stop by and enter. Hope to see you there!

Crazy Hair Day!

2009-04-02T21:38:00.006-06:00

Wow, March always ends up being a crazy month for us and I have so many things to go back and post about. I will try to be on the ball and catch up on everything that happened last month.

As far as today goes, it was Crazy Hair Day at school for their Teacher Appreciation Week. For me, crazy doesn't necessarily mean messy, so we decided we would just try a different sort of hairdo. Here's the end result:

Of course, Brooke had to get in on all the action too!

When Jax got home from preschool, he promptly told Sierra that her hair looked like a waffle and Brooke's looked like a water fountain. At least Sierra liked it!

I Hate Markers!

2009-03-11T14:43:00.005-06:00

Like most mothers know, the second you turn your head, the little ones head straight for trouble! Jay and I were up in our room the other day when Jaxson came running up. "Mom, Brooke's on top of your computer desk and she's painting her face with a marker!" Yep, that's my girl. She's a bundle of energy and is starting to get into Trouble.

First off, I really believe she came straight from monkeys. She climbs on everything. She can make it all the way up the barstools and get on the kitchen counter in milliseconds. She climbs up the handles on her dresser and gets on top to play with the cd player. She was on top of Jax's bookcase in his room the other day. She climbs up the back of the couch and gets on the ledge of the window sill. Everytime I turn my back, she instantly finds something to climb on. It drives me crazy! She also loves bananas. She goes nuts over them and has to have one the instant she sees them. Lucky for her, her dad gave her two full bananas the other day. This was one unhappy mom the next day changing all those dirty diapers! Unfortunately, she even eats them like Jaxson and tries to stuff the entire thing in her mouth. Ugh, where did we go wrong?

She's also a shoe freak. She's always trying on everyone's shoes and has now started wearing Jax's and Sierra's clothes. She loves Cole and isn't scared of him one lick. He's the first thing she looks for in the morning. She is also the world's worst 18 month old back-seat driver. Yep, everytime we stop the truck, she's yelling at us to "Go!" She keeps me on my toes and is so fun to have around, even if she drives me crazy!

Obsessed

2009-03-01T20:12:00.003-07:00

Santa brought Jay and me MarioKart for the Wii for Christmas. Little did he know how much Jay would enjoy it! Usually I am the one that is begging him to play games with me, but not when it comes to this game. He's playing it all the time and especially now that we turned our cable off. He said he likes it just because it's the one game he can beat me at. We'll see about that! I beat some of his lap times the other day while he was at work, so he had to spend all night trying to beat me.

The kids are actually getting pretty good at it too. I think they are getting as obsessed as their father! Good times!

All About Jax

2009-02-13T13:09:00.006-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Jax!

My little boy is growing up way too fast. It was a good thing I didn't plan a big party this year, because all the kids are sick again. They've got coughs and runny noses, so instead of heading out to The Mayan for a birthday dinner, we jumped in the truck and headed to Jax's favorite place to eat: McDonalds. Or as he says it, "Old McDonalds."

We didn't do much during the day since Jay went to work and Sierra went to school. Jax took a nap and when he woke up, Dad had come home with a big bouquet of balloons, and I had gotten his cake decorated. This year was all about pirates, and he was so excited to see the front room all decorated just for him. After Sierra got home, we headed out for dinner, and Grandma & Grandpa Holt were at our house waiting when we got back. We opened presents, ate cake, and had a fun party with just our family. We'll have to plan something more special when they are feeling better.

Some fun things about Jax:

He is a total Nintendo nerd, just like his mom. He'd play his DS all day if he could and loves to play the Wii. He's actually getting quite good at the games.

He loves pirates. We have pirate books, and he plays with his Playmobil pirates all the time.

He loves to read. He's always up for cuddling on the couch and reading a good story.

He loves trains. He has a huge set of GeoTrax that keep getting bigger and bigger. They'll cover our whole family room now. He still runs to the window to watch as the trains go past the house.

He loves Mickey Mouse. He watches Playhouse Disney all the time and plays it on the computer too. I'm excited to take him to Disneyland this year.

He loves going to preschool and his teacher says he's very smart. He can repeat the Pledge of Allegiance, and write his name very well.

He loves to play outside.

He's kind of timid. He's very laid back and tends to follow whatever his big sister does. He didn't like the big rides at Lagoon, but was happy on the little ones. He is so fun to scare, because he freaks out so bad. You can get the kid to jump a mile!

He loves junk food. He's up for any sweets, candy, cake, brownies, etc... He also loves pizza and black beans. There are times I tell him he's full of beans and he always says, "Yeah, black beans." I think it is kind of a weird thing for a kid to like, but he loves to eat Aunt Wendy's black bean and corn enchiladas.

He loves to watch movies. We have movie night every Friday, and the kids snuggle down in their blankets and pillows with popcorn and orange julius to drink.

He's the messiest eater ever. We work on this every night at dinner, but I don't think it will ever change. He likes to eat with his hands, and play with his food. His food turns into tractors and trucks, or animals. Ewww, maybe someday he'll change his habits.

He sometimes ends up at the end of our bed in the middle of the night, laying on our feet.

He's a lovable kid and likes to tell us that he loves us and give big hugs, or cuddle on our laps.

He hates to pick up his toys and do his chores. Hopefully it won't be long for him to grow out of this stage.

He likes to help me in the kitchen and learn to cook.

We Love You, Jax! We hope you had a great day and are proud to have you in our family.

Life List

2009-01-26T11:30:00.002-07:00

After getting this from Carol, I realized there's a lot more things in my life I need to do!

Kind of a fun deal, copy and paste it to your own blog and bold the things you have done in your life!
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band - Just a make-believe one!
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given to charities
7. Been to Disneyland - Just me, but I'm taking the kids and Jay this year for the first time!
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo - Does singing in the shower count?
11. Bungee jumped - Jay has!
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon - Are you crazy?
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa - So on my To Do List
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies - I love to buy them!
62. Gone whale watching - AMAZING!
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - The Holocaust Museum in DC was enough for me.
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter - nope, just a float plane.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - my mom tried to throw away my Teddy Bear. I had to save him from the trash can and still have him!
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar - no thanks.
72. Pieced a quilt - just tie them
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job - Twice
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - Thanks Don, I need another ride!
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - Just like to read them
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - I wish!
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury - I got a subpoena to show up for court on Wednesday.
91. Met someone famous - I checked out Marie Osmond when I was a cashier for Shopko.
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby - Three!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Been involved in a law suit
97. Owned a cell phone
98. Been stung by a bee - Too many times
99. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
100. Learned to play an instrument - Still working on getting Jay to get me a drum set!

Family Fun

2009-01-11T19:51:00.007-07:00

On Friday night, we went up to Classic Skating in Sandy. Our dentist was having a customer appreciation night, so we were able to go for free! Yeah, that's always the best part. It was the first time the kids have tried to rollerblade, so we knew it would be an interesting experience.

We got their skates right at the start and went around the rink with them a few times. You can see on the video how great they are! Then we went to grab some pizza, hotdogs, and drinks. After eating, they pulled out the scooters and rode around a few times. They also had to stand in the circle in the middle of the rink and do the chicken dance. The guy that was doing the announcing was picking winners, and he chose Sierra as one of the best ones doing the chicken dance. She was pretty excited that she won a glo stick! (Anyone up for some Neon Leon?!)

After a bit, we went to the other side where they have the arcade, bouncing area, and a big jungle gym. The kids picked the jungle gym, so they climbed around in there for about an hour. It was great, I just didn't like the fact that the parents didn't have any access to the kids. There was one time where We spotted Jax standing there almost in tears because he couldn't find his sister and couldn't find the way out. Luckily we got it taken care of!

While the kids played in there, Jay took Brooke to the arcade where they played games and won a bunch of tickets. They traded them in for a slinky that Brooke was pretty excited about. Unfortunately, that was the only thing Brooke could do, so we spent most of the time trying to keep her out of the rink and not getting run over.

We ended the night with one last go around the rink. Sierra still fell down quite a bit, but really enjoyed it. We stopped for ice cream cones on the way home and had a great night out.

Sierra's Turn

2009-01-09T11:05:00.002-07:00

Well, we have been battling the cold for a few weeks now. It started with Jay on December 20th. He started with a sore throat, headaches, then a stuffy nose, runny nose, and ended with a cough. He was wiped out for about a week and taking all kinds of medicine to help him feel better. Brooke got it the next week, with a fever, runny nose, and just wanted to sit on my lap for three days straight.
You've heard about Jaxson. It hit him on Monday and wiped him out for about three days. He slept off and on on Tuesday from noon until the next morning. He's also horrible at taking medicine, so it was a fight to get him to take anything. His nose is so plugged, I can't understand anything he's saying. (It's hard enough when he's not sick!) Luckily he's acting fine now, he just looks like he's got a red mustache under his nose from wiping it so much.
Sierra got home on Tuesday night and said she wasn't feeling too well, so she laid down on the couch. I went upstairs to fix dinner and by the time it was ready, both her and Jax were asleep, so it was just Jay, Brooke, and I for dinner. It was nice to have a quiet dinner for a change. The next morning she was fine, but started saying her head hurt right before we left for schoo. She went anyway, but laid around again all night when she got home. She still complained about her head hurting and sounded stuffy on Thursday, so I was going to keep her home, but she said she was fine and wanted to go to school, because it was Show and Tell day. About 3:00, I got a phone call from her teacher saying she was just lying her head on the desk and not doing too well. Jay ran over to get her and she rested the rest of the day.
So, it looks like we're getting over it all now. The kids are back to acting normal: running around, making messes, fighting with eachother, etc... We're going to try to make it to the skating party tonight as long as they are still doing fine. The other problem is the fact that I remain the only one in the family to not be sick, so wish me luck that it will pass me by.
Good luck to you all, and stay healthy this season!

My poor son...

2009-01-07T09:09:00.002-07:00

For some reason, when Jax gets sick, it hits him really hard. For the last two days, he's been running a fever and is really congested. His face is pale, his eyes are ringed in red, and he's been lying in bed watching movies 24/7.

This morning he got up to go to the bathroom and when Jay went in to check on him, he found him lying in the middle of his floor. "Jax, why aren't you in your bed?"
"I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?"
"I tried to climb up, but I couldn't."
Poor kid, he hasn't eaten anything and can't even get back in bed. Hopefully he'll be getting better today!

Happy Holidays!

2009-01-01T22:46:00.002-07:00

What a fun week! Christmas Eve was spent at Jay's parent's house. We had an awesome dinner and opened presents. The kids usually go caroling as well, but it was getting late by the time the party was over, so we headed home to start our own family traditions.

First off, we get to open one present. Like usual, it was Christmas jammies, so the kids got changed and then snuggled on the couch with me to read Twas the Night Before Christmas, and the Christmas story out of the Bible. I had to read both this year since Jay was sick and had lost his voice! We then wrote letters to Santa, set out milk and cookies, and headed up to Sierra's room where all the kids were going to sleep together. They actually fell asleep this year!

Morning came and Brooke woke up about 8:45. I went to get her out of the crib, and got myself ready. I woke up Jay and he took a quick shower. Still, the other two weren't awake, so I took Brooke and we went in to wake them up. I yelled that Santa came and it was Christmas, so wake up. They just rolled over and kept their eyes closed. So I said that everything downstairs was mine, and that roused Sierra. We finally got Jax up and they lined up on the stairs to follow Brooke down. They were pretty excited and yelled that they got "Just what I wanted!"

They played with their gifts for a bit, while I put the cinnamon rolls in the oven, then we opened presents from eachother. They got new Webkinz, books, movies, cd's, felt stories, sweaters, and everyone got a Cardinals hat! Jaxson got Loopy Loco and his farm, while Sierra got an Easy Bake Oven and Mermaid bath playset, and Brooke got the Little People Learn About Town. They were completely spoiled and had a blast playing with all their new toys. We usually go to Temple Square on Christmas, but due to the weather, we stayed home, shoveled the driveway twice, and watched our new movies. It was great to spend the day with the family!

We also had a fun New Year's Eve at home. We started out with an appetizer dinner with fresh fruit, chocolate dip, crescent rolls, crackers, cheese, turkey, cordon bleu balls, barbecue lil smokies, and buffalo chicken dip. The kids loved it and ate a ton. Since it was all finger food, we didn't even have to remind Jax to use his fork! After dinner, the kids got in jammies, and set up their blankets and pillows downstairs to watch movies. We had rented Wall-E and Ariel's Beginning. They hung out downstairs all night while I read a book upstairs, and Jay watched TV, and of course, fell asleep. The came up a few times to ask if it was midnight yet, but then went back down. It was quiet and I thought they would have fallen asleep, but they stayed up all the way until midnight. When it got close, I headed downstairs, got out the Sparkling Cider and the firework poppers, and we watched the ball drop. We yelled and shot off our poppers, toasted the new year, and I even got my New Year's kiss. We had fun celebrating, and called my family who were all down in Vegas. They still had to wait an hour! Then it was off to bed. We had fun and the kids just thought it was cool to stay up all night.

2009-01-01T22:45:00.001-07:00

We Wish You a Merry Christmas...

2008-12-24T21:32:00.002-07:00

We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! We hope you all have a day filled with wonder, joy, family, happiness, and awe. We definitely got our wish for a white Christmas and will be out enjoying it tomorrow!

Thanks to our family and friends for all the wonderful things you've done for us. We feel so blessed to be a part of your lives. We are so grateful for this time of year and that we can celebrate the birth of our Savior. The kids really got the true meaning of Christmas down this year and I'm thankful for their sweet testimonies.

Our Christmas Eve traditions are done, the kids are in bed, I'm dreaming of being in bed, so Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2008-12-23T12:48:00.007-07:00

We have been going crazy at our house getting ready for Christmas. Last Thursday, both of the kids had their Christmas programs. We headed over to Jax's preschool about 10:15. We watched them sing and dance, and then had treats. It was quite the production and kudos to Miss Lacy for trying to get 10 three year olds to hold still and do what they were supposed to! Later that afternoon, we went to Sierra's school to watch the kindergarteners do their thing. They did a really good job and were fun to watch. After more treats, we headed home.

That whole day, we also had Jay's brother and his buddy here working on our basement. They got everything framed in that room and hopefully we'll get the electrical done soon and get the drywall up. We had them build a wall to separate the office from the laundry room and put in a closet. They also had to frame in the ceiling. It sure was fun to clean up all the sawdust and snow that was tracked all through the house! But, I'm so excited to have that room finished. We need the extra space!

Saturday was also a crazy day. It was the day of our Holt Family Christmas Party. My sisters came up from St. George and Las Vegas, so the whole family was here. Jay was at work all day, so I got the kids ready and headed up to my mom's house in the morning. We hung out and played all day, then started decorating gingerbread houses late in the afternoon. We had an awesome dinner, and when Jay showed up, we were finally able to open presents. We all got spoiled, and loved all our gifts. Thanks for putting it all together, Mom & Dad!

2008-12-23T12:48:00.001-07:00

Videos!

2008-12-23T12:07:00.004-07:00

Here's Jax's class singing Rudolph. Well, it's mostly just Miss Lacy singing Rudolph!

Sierra's program was great too. She really got into it!

It's Christmas!

2008-12-09T00:07:00.002-07:00

Jay and I are in the process of finishing our spare room downstairs. We are getting started this week, so we are getting it all cleared out again. This is the place where we have all our Christmas presents stored, so we spent last night wrapping all of them. We put a few under the tree before we went to bed.

The next morning, after Jay had left for work, Jaxson came running upstairs and said, "Mom, Santa came!" He thought that it was Christmas already since there were presents under the tree. It was pretty cute, and I had to explain to him that they were from Mom, Dad, and Brooke, not Santa. Now he's been driving us nuts asking to open his presents all day! Please, Christmas don't be late!

Santa Claus

2008-12-06T09:37:00.004-07:00

Last night we went to Jay's store where Santa was doing a book signing. He was the model for a new version of "The Night Before Christmas" which came with a DVD and had beautiful artwork. So he signed a book for us and humored us with pictures. Jax was the first to step up and sat right on his lap and told him what he wanted. Brooke was next and whined for just a minute until she got her candy cane. She's still not very good at smiling for the camera! Sierra decided to be shy and kept hiding behind me. She wouldn't even look at him. As we did some Christmas shopping around the store, she finally admitted that she didn't want to talk to him because she had been naughty that day and was afraid he'd be mad at her.

She was big time naughty, too. She usually gets home from school just before 4:00. About that time, I heard a knock on the door. It was our neighbor girl from across the street. She asked if I knew that Sierra was going to Sydney's house. Ummm, no. In case you don't know, Sydney is her cousin. Jay's brother lives a few blocks down from our house and she had decided that she was going over there without telling me. So I put the other two in the truck and headed down the street. When I found her down at the corner, I pulled over, opened the door and told her to get in the truck, Now. She knew I was mad and after explaining to her about kidnapping and me needing to know where she was and her not going anywhere without asking, she started to cry. One of the ladies in our ward was walking down the street, so I rolled down the window to talk to her. She had noticed Sierra wandering around and was going to go get her and then give me a call. Sydney wasn't even home, so I have no idea what Sierra's plans were. She was pretty subdued that night and did her jobs without much nagging.

On a lighter note, it only cost me $31 to fill up the Denali with gas! Yeah! Definitely a nice change after hitting $90 this summer.

Brrrrr...

2008-12-05T12:50:00.002-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Zoo. Last year when they started Zoo Lights, we thought we'd make it a tradition to go every year. So, even though it was freezing cold last night, we took all the kids, bundled them up, and walked around the Zoo for a couple hours.

They've done a great job with the lights. There are so many lights, and it's fun to see all the different animals they have. Brooke would wave at all the lights that were shaped like animals. As for the real animals, most aren't out, but if you want to see the cats, it's a great time to go. The cougars, tigers, lynx, leopard, and others are all up walking around, making noise, and are so fun to watch. The red panda was also cruisin around his pen.

Brooke enjoyed it quite a bit, but wouldn't leave her gloves on. She was too busy eating her chocolate chip cookie that we got at the Beastro. (Hence the chocolate mouth in all her pics!) She didn't even want her blanket tucked around her. Sierra and Jax were both ornery and tired, but they got into the spirit after a little while. The hot chocolate is awesome, but extremely hot. If you go, get some right when you walk in and it will be ready to drink when it's time to go home! My kids are nuts and won't drink anything warm, but Jay and I loved it. We even took a ride on the Carousel. It was Brooke's first time and she had to sit on about 4 different animals. Once the ride started going, she was happy. So was Jay since he didn't have to keep her occupied anymore!

We had a great time and if you're looking for something fun and different to do, go visit the Zoo!

2008-12-05T12:49:00.001-07:00

My Little Monkey

2008-12-02T15:19:00.003-07:00

I put Brooke down for a nap today so I could get packed for my show tonight. After a bit, I heard noise coming from her room, so I knew that she was awake, but I wanted to finish working on my folders, so I waited a bit. A little while later, I heard a knock on the door. I thought it was Jax, but when I went upstairs, the knock was coming from Brooke's room. No way, I thought. But I opened the door, and there was Brooke standing in front of it. She had climbed out of her crib and had been playing around with stuff in the room. Diapers were everywhere and one of the pop-up books was ripped apart. I've never had a kid climb out of the crib before, so this was a new experience for me. She loves to climb on everything and she's pretty quick at it to. Every time I turn around I find her on top of the kitchen table, the computer desk, the back of the couch, etc... I have no idea how she got out of her crib, but we'll see if she does it again!

Couldn't Wait!

2008-11-25T20:11:00.003-07:00

Sorry, I've been trying to be good and not change my blog until after Thanksgiving, but I couldn't wait. I'm so excited for Christmas and am hoping to be busy this weekend painting my kitchen, so tonight was the night.

Why do I like Christmas:
The Sights: I love to see lights on all the houses, decorations on every street, and trees in every window. One of our traditions is to go for a drive and look at lights. Jay never quite understood why this was so fun, but we figured out it's because they all look the same to him! Anyway, we love to sing carols and we're still trying to find a house up in Alpine that is so bright it shines like a beacon. For three years, we've never found the road to this house. May be this will be the year!

The Sounds: I love Christmas music. My favorite CD is Martina McBride's White Christmas. If you're looking for a good, soft, classic Christmas CD, this is it. My favorite by far. I love jingle bells and the hustle and bustle of the mall. I love the sound of the kids laughter and the ripping of wrapping paper as they open their gifts and discover new things. And of course, "Ho, Ho, Ho."

The Smells: I love the smell of cinnamon pine cones and fresh cut Christmas trees. Fresh baked bread, rolls, and goodies, mmmmm. Roasted nuts and yummy soaps and lotions from Bath & Body Works in the mall. The crispness of the frosty mornings and snowflakes in the air. The warmth of a campfire and a big mug of hot chocolate, with just a bit of peppermint.

The Tastes: It's all about the food. Our traditional Christmas dinner: Honey-baked ham, cheesy potato casserole, homemade rolls, raspberry jell-o salad, deviled eggs, and banana cream pie. I love getting homebaked treats from friends and neighbors, cherry chocolates, life saver books in my stocking, and popcorn tins.

The Feelings: The excitement on Christmas Eve and our best tradition: jammies and a sleepover all together. Waking up on Chrismas morn and rushing to our stockings. Giving gifts and seeing the joy it brings. Helping the needy and feeding the hungry. Reading the story of Jesus' birth and singing Silent Night in Sacrament Meeting. Going to Temple Square and feeling the Spirit.

What a magical, crazy, wonderful, busy time of year. I love it!

Bad Things

2008-11-18T16:58:00.003-07:00

Why is it that the bad things all seem to hit you at once? Our garage door has been having issues for quite some time now, but being the procrastinators that we are, we haven't done anything about it. So, last week, it went up halfway and stopped. We couldn't get it to do anything, so we had a guy come out to fix it. He fixed it and the next day, you guessed it, it stopped working again. So, he came back out and said we'd probably need a whole new unit, but ended up fixing it again and left. As we left that evening, yup, it didn't work. So, we are still working on getting that taken care of.

Last night as we went to bed, Jay went to get Cole and he was nowhere to be found. His tie-out was broken and we had no idea where or how long he'd been gone. I stepped onto the front porch and whistled. Nothing. I whistled again, and we saw a shadow dart out down the street under the lamp. Thank goodness it was him and he came running home when we called to him!

Today I was vacuuming out the truck (since our kids don't realize that food belongs in their mouths and not on the floor), when the vacuum started shuddering. I know Jay said the belt was having some issues the other night, but when the vacuum started smoking, I figured it was best to turn it off! Ya, it's sitting out on the front porch waiting for Jay to see if it can be salvaged.

After the vacuum incident, I went inside the house to put Jax and Brooke down for their naps so I could get showered and ready. I usually read until Brooke quits making noise and goes down for the count, but she was up for quite awhile. Usually when that happens, she has messed her pants and won't go to sleep. A quick whiff by the door confirmed this, so I went in to change her and put her back down. Well, she had her pants off and there was poop EVERYWHERE! It was on her hands, clothes, crib, bedding, stuffed animals, the wall, her legs, you name it. So she ended up in the tub while I spent a fun time wiping everything down and being completely grossed out. Her diaper was still on, so she must have been sliding her hands in from the side. Ewwww.

Oh, and the neighbor boys decided to destroy our small trees that are growing on the side of our yard, so it will be interesting to see if they will be living next summer. (The trees, I mean, not the little boys. Then again, hmmmmm.)

I guess it can always be worse. At least we didn't get stuck for a week in Vegas! Right, Steph! Then again, another vacation sounds awful good right now.

It's finally over...

2008-11-10T08:54:00.003-07:00

This week has been crazy, like usual. I had a PC meeting on Monday night and since Jay was at work, I had to take all the kids with me. It was a family event that was held nationwide because they announced our new trip destination that we can earn next year. Are you ready for this... Disneyworld! I'm way excited and would love to earn this trip so I can take my family there for free! Wahoo! So here's my shameless plug. If you'd like to host, I'll love you forever. And please think of me when you need gifts for weddings, birthdays, etc. It's only with your help that I'll be able to make it. We had a great time and it was definitely my lucky night. I won three drawingsand got some great stuff! It was worth it to go, even though I had to chase my kids all over.

We started planning a month ago for Young Women in Excellence. Meri, the president informed us that we had to also be in charge of a Sacrament Meeting the following week, so I promptly volunteered to do anything and everything, including speak, at YW in E instead of speaking in sacrament. I also got put in charge of refreshments. (Big surprise!)

Our theme was every star is different and we decorated by putting stars everywhere. I got this awesome, insane idea to do a berries and stars dessert. I took the original recipe and modified it to feed 50. So, I spent about 4 hours on Saturday standing in my kitchen cutting tiny stars out of Puff Pastry and baking them. The rest of the dessert went together fairly quick and Jay was kind enough to come to the church and help me layer the pastry stars, strawberries, blueberries, and Cool Whip concoction. They did turn out amazing and were a big hit.

I guess it was good that I had to focus my attention on that, because every time I thought about speaking, the butterflies would start and I would just go nuts. I know it's crazy to get so worked up and I try to talk myself out of it, but I hate public speaking. My chest gets tight and I forget to breathe so my voice goes all funky and shaky. It even happened when I had to just say the prayer in sacrament! Of course, I was the first speaker and the only other person speaking besides Meri. Thank goodness it is over and I can relax and watch everyone else speak next week! The good thing is that I have tons of leftover blueberries, so we're having homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast! Yum!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-02T10:44:00.002-07:00

Whoo-hoo, my favorite holiday finally came! It was a couple of fun, busy days. My sister came up from Las Vegas, so we celebrated with her for the holiday.

Thursday, Sierra and Jaxson both had school early. Sierra was going on a field trip to Hee Haws and had to go with the morning classes, so we got her off and then worked on Jax. He had to get dressed up for his Halloween party at preschool. He was going as Buzz Lightyear, so we got him all dressed with a few minutes to spare. I ran downstairs to check on something and when I came back up, he had half his costume off! After a quick bathroom run, we got dressed again and he headed off to preschool. I picked him up later and did a trunk or treat with the preschool kids, then we left to pick up Sierra.

After school, we went to see the witches at Gardner Village. We walked around, took pictures, and rode the ponies. The kids loved the witches and had a blast hanging out with their cousins. After a few hours, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for some Taco Soup, then got loaded up again to go to Hee Haw farms. Since Sierra had already been, she showed us her favorite part: a huge slide that you slid down on gunny sacks. The kids loved it, especially Brooke. Even Katelyn got in on the fun after some convincing. When Jenn and Kyle finally showed up, we headed in to the corn maze. It wasn't haunted, but Uncle Kyle jumped out right at the beginning scaring Clark half out of his wits! He cried about 5 minutes before he calmed down. Although it was still a little spooky, the kids had fun.

Friday morning we got up and carved pumpkins. Jay had the day off, so he helped all the kids get their pumpkins done. I helped Sierra get ready for school, dressed as a witch. The bus was so late, I missed getting to her school to take pics of her Halloween parade, but I'm sure she didn't notice. She got home and soon after, Kris and Joe showed up for dinner. I made two different batches of chili, and we had homemade root beer. The kids had a blast watching the dry ice do its job and Uncle Joe even showed them how to suck it up and blow the smoke out of their mouths. Thanks, Joe! After the kids got down a few bites, it was a mad dash to get in their costumes. This time Sierra was a cat, Jax a dog, and Brooke a bee. After getting socks and shoes on, faces painted, and pictures taken, they all headed off to trick-or-treat while I stayed home to hand out candy. It sprinkled off and on and Jenn and Kyle showed back up pretty quick so their costumes wouldn't get ruined. They looked great as Giselle and Prince Edward from Enchanted. After a quick round of the neighborhood, we all left for Grandma and Grandpa's house. There we had donuts, apple cider, and loads of other treats. We played a fun game of Neon Leon (see my sister, Kristen Stuart's post!), and then watched the new Tinkerbell movie. The kids were exhausted and fell asleep in the truck on the way home. It was the easiest night ever to get them in bed!

We have tons of traditions for each and every holiday and I'm so glad that I get to pass them on to my kids now. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday, next to Christmas, and I hope my kids will love it too.

2008-11-02T10:42:00.001-07:00

Mice, and Snakes, and Bugs, Oh My!

2008-10-22T10:21:00.003-06:00

The other night I was working and around midnight started hearing noises. The first one I just passed off as the house settling down for the night, but then I heard a distinct scratching noise. I yelled for Jay and when he came down, told him that I thought there was a mouse in the family room. He just gave me that look like, "You called me down here because you're hearing things", and "What do you want me to do about it?" So I told him that I wasn't kidding and he needed to find it. He pokes around for a little bit, but I could tell he just didn't believe me. So he goes into our unfinished room, where I think they get in, and found some mouse poop. With evidence confirmed, he now continues to search better, but to no avail. He put some new boxes of D-Con out, so hopefully we'll get rid of this little bugger. As most of you know, we have a field behind our house and generally get a visitor or two in the spring and the fall. Too bad I can't train Cole to become a mouser. It definitely would help me quit finding them around! If you have any ideas that can help, let me know. I want to get a cat, but Jay won't let me. He wants to get a fake owl and put it outside. I think my plan is better! Care to vote?

As for the spiders and bugs, who doesn't get creeped out by those things. At my sister's house last weekend, we were sitting on the floor talking when a bug ran out from under a bench. I was on the couch and yelled "Bug" and my sister, Jenn, jumped about 10 feet in the air and was across the room in seconds. I've never seen her move that fast. We started getting spiders and bugs showing up around our house too, so after I had to kill a huge one near the kitchen, I had a guy in our ward come and spray. He did the inside and when he went to do the outside, it looked like he hooked up a pressure washer! It was awesome. He sprayed everywhere and the next morning our driveway was bug cemetary! There were dead bugs all over the place. I had to sweep them off for about 3 days. I'm definitely having him come back and Jay told him the next week at church that he was my hero!

And don't even get me started on the snakes! Yes, we get them too, but never in the house, thank goodness. I actually only saw one this year, after Jay hit it with the weed whacker. Ewwwww. He didn't even see it until it went flipping in the air. I guess the morale of my stories, (of which there are many more), is to be prepared if you're going to live at the end of a subdivision, surrounded by fields.

Tagged...

2008-10-20T21:11:00.002-06:00

8 things I am passionate about
1. My Family
2. Church
3. Pampered Chef (Jay's contribution!)
4. Doing my Best
5. Holidays and Traditions
6. Striving to achieve my life's goals
7. Cooking
8. Fantasy Football

8 words or phrases I say often
1. No, no, no
2. Because I'm the boss, that's why
3. In a minute
4. The kids are driving me crazy
5. What do you want for dinner?
6. 1... 2... 3...
7. What the...?
8. I'm tired

8 things I want to accomplish in the coming year
1. Work my business better
2. Get back to pre-pregnancy weight (roll eyes and sigh)
3. Convince Jay to get me a drum set
4. Get my house painted
5. Go to Disneyland!!
6. Get a fence
7. Pay off our debt so we can afford a new car
8. Get my downstairs finished. (Although technically it should have been done this year, Jay!)

8 places I would love to go or visit
1. England
2. Italy
3. France
4. Cancun
5. Australia
6. New York
7. Hawaii
8. Important Church History sites

8 things I need or want
1. My Basement Finished!
2. More Video Games for my Wii
3. a Maid
4. New Appliances
5. To Sell our Tahoe
6. Be done Christmas Shopping like my sister, Steph
7. More Sleep
8. My own Personal Library

I tag: those who want to!

Cornbelly's

2008-10-08T10:27:00.004-06:00

Last night we took the kids to Thanksgiving Point to check out Cornbelly's. We usually go to Hee Haws, but thought we'd change it up a bit this year. We didn't make it there until 7:00, so it was pretty much dark the whole time we were there. Despite the chill, the kids had a great time.

Sierra's favorite part was the Pumpkin Princess Playland. She loved it so much, we had to go back twice. They let the little girls dress up in princess dresses complete with wigs and crowns. They had an awesome playhouse, jumping area, and Cinderella's carriage. From there we went to another play area with horse tire swings, trains, tractors, farmer's market, slides, and rubber ducky races. The kids ran from one thing to the next so fast, we could hardly keep track of them. They also went on a train ride pulled by a tractor and then we went over to watch the pig races. Those little piggies went so fast, you could hardly see them! They also have a big blow-up creature that you can walk into. It wasn't haunted, but the kids were pretty nervous going in there anyway. As you walk through, it is like you're going through it's insides. More gross than scary! They also had peddle carts (Jax's favorite), a mining area, and a fire pit so you could warm up. There were so many fun things to do, the kids had a heyday.

2008-10-08T10:27:00.001-06:00

Too Much Sports...

2008-10-04T18:20:00.002-06:00

Tonight after dinner, Jay was on the couch watching a football game, so I got Brooke a cup of milk and sat her down next him. A few seconds later I heard a racket and when I look over, Brooke has her little fist raised in the air and is shouting, "Go, go, go, go, go," at the TV. Do you think she watches her Daddy a little bit?

I tried to record it, but of course, she stopped when she heard the camera turn on. Jay thought it was pretty funny and is quite the proud papa when it comes to things like that!

New Stuff, Busy Stuff, and Sick Stuff...

2008-10-02T11:13:00.002-06:00

Need an update? Here goes...

First, I got a new calling in our ward. I'm back in Young Women's as the Miamaid Advisor. It is a lot of fun to be in Young Womens and I'm excited to have one of my nieces in my class, but it takes up so much time! We just had a planning meeting and planned a bunch of stuff through the end of the year. I've got to talk about Personal Progress in about a month at our Young Women in Excellence night, so if you've got any ideas on how to make my talk fun and exciting, let me know. I've gotta go over the program in a creative way, not just read it out of the manual and I haven't found any ideas yet.

Second, the kids have been sick all week. Sierra started it all on Sunday night when she started throwing up right before I went to BYD. She was up all night, but was fine in the morning and held everything down, so she went to school and gymnastics. Then about 10 that night, it started up again. Same thing happened, she was fine in the morning, but I kept her home from school due to that and the fact that she had a mosquito bite. Not a big deal, right? Wrong. The mosquito bit her right below her eye, and her eye swelled up so bad it was halfway shut. It also turned purple. I sent a note in to her teacher so we wouldn't get DCFS called on us! It's looking better today, but is still a little swollen and looks like she got hit in the eye. She's been fine since Tuesday, but Jax started in throwing up Tuesday night, and Brooke woke up Wednesday morning doing it too! Lucky for me, Jay was able to take that day off and stayed home to help me referee and clean them all up all day. Thank goodness Brooke was feeling better when he left for school.

Things are looking up today, so hopefully we are past it. We've got too many fun activities planned for this month for them to be sick. We've already decorated for Halloween, and I was so excited about my awesome new garland and a few of our fun finds this year. We're also getting ready for our trip down to St. George and Las Vegas to visit my sisters. Can't wait!

Music Appreciation

2008-09-19T13:43:00.003-06:00

My kids have always loved music. We listen to fun kids songs in the car, and they go to sleep each night listening to their cd players. The other day Jay got a demo cd of a new group called Live Out Loud. The group has two girls and a boy in it that are all 14 years old and they sing pop songs comparable to Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers. Sierra had been listening to it in her room and when I walked upstairs, they were all dancing and going crazy. Brooke was so excited, she could hardly stay on her feet! Sorry the video is so dark, may be I'll try to get a better one later.

Jax's Turn

2008-09-09T14:09:00.002-06:00

FINALLY! After three weeks of waiting, Jax finally started preschool today. For two years he has watched Sierra walk up the stairs and go to preschool and it was his turn today. There were no tears, no hugs, no waves, he just ran in and found his name and started playing. I think my kids are a little too independent. When it comes to things like this, it would be nice to think they might actually miss me! Then again, I'm glad that they are not shy and are able to go do things like this by themselves.

As for the picture, it is always a fiasco with him. First of all, he has this weird thing where he thinks he can't keep his eyes open when he goes outside because it is too sunny, so we always have to put his sunglasses on. So, even though it was completely overcast today and practically raining, he wouldn't keep his eyes open for long enough to look at me without squinting. He also will not hold still and pose for a picture. He is so fidgety, it took about 8 tries to get one where he was holding still, had a smile, and was looking at the camera.

After picking him up, in typical Jaxson form, he wouldn't tell me anything about what he did or what he learned. I hope he pays attention, obeys, and learns something this year! He is so different from Sierra, I hope Miss Lacy didn't have any expectations. I can't believe my kids are getting so big.

I'm a Record Holder!

2008-09-08T13:24:00.002-06:00

Back in High School, I played soccer, and I loved every minute of it. Now my niece goes to Lehi and plays for the team as well. Her coach started his first year of coaching when I was a senior, so Jay's brother asked him if he remembered me, and surprisingly enough, he did. While they were talking, he said that I was on the state records list for most assists in a game. Well, that was news to me, so I had to come home and look it up.

http://deseretnews.com/preprecords/socg/socgiassists.html

There I was, and it was kind of exciting to see my name there, even though I'm tied for second on the list. So, I had to brag a bit and post it on our blog. ;)

A Midsummer Night's Dream

2008-09-02T12:13:00.007-06:00

Last weekend, Jay surprised me and took me to the Outdoor Theatre at Sundance to see a play. It was their last performance of the season and it was great. We went to dinner at Outback, mmmmm, and stuffed ourselves with cheese fries, ribs, shrimp, steak, and chicken. We didn't realize all the hiking we'd have to do when we got up there.

You park in a parking lot clear up the mountain, then they bus you back down to the bottom. You hike a little ways to another spot where you can get a tractor ride to take you up to where the theatre is, but we just hiked up there. It is all open seating, but we chose to just spread out a blanket and sit on the grass, rather than sitting on the benches in front of the stage.

It was so gorgeous up there and we had a great time, even though it got pretty chilly. They started out with an act called the Thrillionaires. They were an improv comedy group and were actually pretty funny. Jay missed most of it since he was down getting me some popcorn, but I would recommend going to see them if you get a chance. I know they perform somewhere in Provo.

Sundance is affiliated with UVU, so most of the actors in the play were from the school. They did a great job, and I really enjoyed it. I think Shakespeare is totally meant to be seen, not just read. It makes a lot more sense when you see it performed, rather than reading all those funny words. I've always liked this play, but my favorite comedy is Twelfth Night. We'll have to go see that one some time. It was so fun, and maybe next year we'll take the kids!

A Day of Firsts!

2008-08-25T21:34:00.006-06:00

Although school technically started last Monday, Kindergarteners have a week off to do testing, so Sierra's first day of school was today. She goes to school in the afternoon, so we walked down to the bus stop after lunch. She was pretty excited and just a little bit nervous. Since the bus wasn't there when we got there, she thought it was late. There were 5 other kids waiting for the bus, but none were in her Primary class and none of them had her teacher, so she didn't know any of them. She got all excited when we could see the bus coming down the street, and she got right in line and got on the bus without so much as a wave! I could barely make out the top of her head as she made her way among the seats, but we stayed there and waved until the bus left. I wasn't sad, just a little nervous that she would make it where she was supposed to go and make it back home all by herself. As we started walking back home, Jax grabbed my hand and said, "I miss Sisi." It was cute, but I don't think he cared much when he realized that he would have the Wiimote to Mario Party all to himself.

She said that she enjoyed her class, but all she would tell me is that she went to Recess and had a snack. I think she's just like her father! She had fun, though, and said she likes her teacher.

After she made it home from school, (it was a relief to see her walk around the corner), we had to get ready for gymnastics. Today was her first time to go to her gymnastics class and she was super excited for it. She got in her leotard and we headed over. She went right in, and I went grocery shopping. I got done just in time to get back and pick her up. She had loads to tell me this time! She had fun walking and doing bunny hops on the balance beam, swinging on the bar, and doing handstands. In fact, she was doing handstands all night long just to show us that she could do it! She had a blast and said she likes it better than Kindergarten and better than the dance class she had last year. She wants to go everyday.

It was definitely weird to think that my little girl was big enough to go to school today, and it's weird to think that we have to do it all again tomorrow. I was looking at the picture and realized she's only as big as the tire on the bus! But, it's just our next phase of life and I guess we'll get used to it in a hurry.

Bloody Bill

2008-08-23T14:01:00.002-06:00

Okay, for this story to make sense, you have to start at the beginning, the very beginning...

My dad likes to make up scary stories. When all the grandkids were here for Pioneer Day, they went on a hike with Grandpa, who told them the story of Bloody Bill. The kids were all caught up with the story and amidst all 6 of them trying to tell it to us, this is what I got out of it. Bloody Bill used to hear kids who were camping out and would be drawn to their campfires, then cut off their big toes and drink the blood. Nice story, huh.

So, that night we were trying to get the kids to go to bed, but Bloody Bill was still on their minds. So, we told them that since Uncle Doug was a policeman, he had caught Bloody Bill and put him in jail so that he wouldn't come get them. That worked for a bit, but then Sierra decided she had to make sure, so we called Uncle Doug, (who probably thought we were crazy), and Jay got him to tell Sierra that Bloody Bill was in jail and couldn't come out and get them.

Fast forward to today, where we had a Primary activity. The kids were putting together ID kits and they also had a policeman there who was teaching the kids about Stranger Danger. After he was done talking, he opened it up for questions. Sierra raises her hand and says, "My grandpa told us about Bloody Bill and my Uncle Doug is a policeman who put him in jail so we wouldn't have to worry about him anymore." The cop just looked at me funny and all the adults in the room just started laughing. I'm sure my face went bright red!

So thanks, Grandpa, for introducing all the young kids in Primary to Bloody Bill!

For Sale!!

2008-08-06T14:49:00.007-06:00

We are selling our Tahoe, so if you know anyone who might be interested, let them know. We'll be listing it on KSL next week. Just give us a call or email if you're interested.

Chevy Tahoe: $4800

Year: 1996

Mileage: 126,000

It has a tan leather interior, power windows and locks, and double doors in the back.

Wii Fit

2008-08-05T22:38:00.002-06:00

Jay finally broke down and after some searching, we found a Wii Fit for sale. In case you don't know, it is a fitness game that takes your height and weight, and figures out a workout program for you. As you play, you can do different things like Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics, and Balance Games. This morning I set up the Mii's for Sierra and Jaxson and they decided to try their hand at the Hula Hoop Aerobics game. Unfortunately, they need lots of practice!

Now I just have to get Jay to try it!!

Family Fun

2008-08-04T20:14:00.002-06:00

My sister's came up to celebrate Pioneer Day with us this year. We had a blast and went crazy doing something everyday. Of course, I forgot my camera every time, so you'll have to check out their blogs to see our pictures. Here's the rundown:

Young Living Family Farm: Although Lavender Days were over, the fields were still gorgeous and the smells fantastic. We had a great time wandering around looking at all their wagons, wild west town, indian encampment, medeival village, the lake, and the pavillion. They have an incredible set up and we'll be going to their festival next year for sure. On the way home, we stopped at the Big Red Barn in Santaquin for some homemade ice cream (which was yumm-o) and other fun treats.

Pioneer Day: We left Wednesday, after Jay got home from work, and met the fam for dinner at Macaroni Grill. Dinner was really good and then we continued up to Salt Lake where my dad had reserved rooms for all of us at the Little America Hotel. We hung out and played until bedtime. Brooke wasn't feeling too well, so we were up most of the night with her, but the other two went to bed sooner than I'd thought they would. They did great at the hotel and were on their best behavior. Early the next morning, we got ready and headed down a couple blocks to watch the parade. Dad, Joe, and Jim had gotten up extra early to save us some good seats. The Days of '47 Parade is the 5th largest in the country and had some really cool floats. Jay's not much for parades, but he stuck it out through all 3 hours. It was incredibly hot, but we had a great time and enjoyed it all. After the parade was lunch at The Gateway, and after running through the splash park and doing a little shopping there, we headed over for the Days of '47 Rodeo. About 15 minutes into it, Jax crashed and slept through the whole thing. It was fun though, and Sierra enjoyed her popcorn while watching all the cowboys. We headed back home and ended up at my mom's house where we spent the night relaxing and lighting off fireworks. With so many small kids around, we're lucky we didn't have a whole bunch of accidents! We all survived with minor sparkler burns and a few close calls.

Grandma Holt's Funeral: For the past couple weeks, my Grandma Holt hadn't been doing to well. We went up to visit her and pretty much say goodbye. She rallied a bit, but passed away on Sunday, July 20th. She was 98 years old and led an extraordinary life. She was an amazing woman and although we are sad at her passing, we look forward to seeing her again. The funeral was beautiful and my sister, Stephanie, gave an incredible tribute that had tears streaming down my face. It was great to have lunch with the extended family and catch up a bit since it has been so long since we've seen eachother.

Jay's Birthday: Since Grandma's funeral was on Jay's birthday, we didn't get much done for him. We got home around 4:00 and just had time to change and head over to his mom's house to pick up the kids. He opened a few of his presents, and we had a short celebration. I'll have to make it up to him later, cause his birthday kind of sucked. He still has one present coming that I know will be his favorite, so I'll post on that later.

Family Pictures: Saturday morning we got up early, again, and had our family pictures done. The last time they were taken, Jax had just barely been born, so it was time. Our pictures were done by Jen Lewis Photography, and she did an amazing job. With that many little kids, and picky moms, I thought she'd go crazy! Our pictures turned out great and I had to post them, because my sister's all left and haven't seen them yet! Don't worry guys, I'll send your cd's out soon! Since we were all starving after pics, we stopped at Sonic for hamburgers and headed to the park to play. After nap time, we headed back up to Grandma's house for games.

The kids had a great time with all their cousins and were sad to see them go. We're excited that Kris and Joe are so much closer, and will be down to visit them in Las Vegas this fall. Thanks to my mom and dad for putting up with all of us, and feeding us all week. We had a great time and created some fun memories.

Holt Family Pictures

2008-08-04T20:13:00.001-06:00

Brooke's Birthday Spotlight

2008-07-11T17:05:00.004-06:00

Brooke is such a fun little girl and we are so blessed to have her in our family. She inherited "The Stare." When she first sees someone she doesn't know, she just stares at them, trying to figure them out. I think it can get pretty intimidating. Once you get past that, you get to see how cute her personality is.

Brooke loves to be tickled, thrown in the air, and played with. She loves to play Peek-A-Boo and is always putting things over her face. She likes to talk on the phone, loves yogurt and ice cream, and climbs on everything. There is no obstacle too big. If something is on the floor, Brooke tries to climb on it or over it. Even if it is just a book, she has to stand on it. May be it makes her feel taller.

Brooke loves to touch different things. We have some touchy-feely books and she'll read those and knows exactly where all the places are to touch. She's always rubbing her hand on the back of your shoulder, or touching chairs, couches, walls, carpet, anything that might have a different texture. She is also a big tease. She'll growl at you and then crawl away, but always stops and turns around to make sure you're following her. She'll steal toys from Jax and take off as fast as she can, laughing. She loves looking at and touching people's faces.

Brooke wants so bad to be able to keep up with her big brother and sister. She loves them, and she loves Cole. She gets so excited to see him in the mornings and loves to pet him. Sierra can always make her laugh and Jax is still learning to tolerate her when she knocks over his trains. She always wants to do what they are doing and she watches and learns from them. She tries to play the Wii and recognizes the theme songs to all the cartoons they watch.

She loves music and likes to dance. She's busy, busy, busy, and into everything. She climbs out of her high chair and won't sit down long enough to eat her food. She is such a runt, that we can put it as tight as it goes, and she can still worm out of it. She is small, but she's fiesty, and you don't want to make her mad, or she'll give you the cold shoulder. Brooke is fun to be around and she'll steal your heart. We are so glad to be her parents and love her to death.

Happy Birthday, Brooke!

2008-07-11T16:42:00.003-06:00

Thursday was Brooke's first birthday and we got up and went to Hogle Zoo! In the past, it has been a tradition to go for Sierra's birthday, but she had a party this year, so we decided to go on Brooke's birthday instead. I love the zoo and we usually go when it's cooler and less busy, but it was still fun. Brooke got all excited when she spotted the elephants and other animals. It didn't take her long, though, until she was sound asleep in her stroller. We went for a ride on the Conservation Carousel, which is their new attraction this year, and of course, went for a train ride. We stopped and ate hot dogs and had a great time visiting all the animals.

When we got home, Brooke took another nap, so we spent the time getting ready for her party. I was lazy and ran out of time to make her a birthday cake, so we just picked one up at the store. She loved her balloons, but couldn't quite figure out what all the fuss was about. Sierra and Jaxson just kept shoving presents in her face and ripping them open. She looked slightly overwhelmed. She did enjoy her gifts, when her siblings let her play with them! She got some new clothes, a wooden animal puzzle that makes animal sounds, a piano/xylophone, and a new Webkinz. Grandma and Grandpa Willes were there and gave her a new shirt that lights up, and a dolly. After presents, we sang Happy Birthday and gave her a big cupcake. She just gave it the stare at first, then started fingerpainting with the frosting. Jay put some on his finger and put it in her mouth and it was over from there. She said, "Mmmmmm," and then started eating it. Like my other kids, she enjoyed it and made a huge mess. After a bath, Grandma and Grandpa Holt came over and brought a little lion that you can use as a walker, or a ride-on. She thought this gift was just great and once she figured out how to push it, she wouldn't let anyone else touch it. I hope she had a fun day. Happy Birthday, Baby!

2008-07-11T16:40:00.001-06:00

Independence Day

2008-07-08T13:28:00.003-06:00

It's taken awhile to post about our weekend because I spent a day and a half of it reading Stephenie Meyer's book, The Host. I did enjoy it and I'm excited to finish out her Twilight series next month. In case you didn't know, I'm a total bookworm and love to read. There's a bunch of books I'm waiting for this fall, so I know I'll be busy reading.

Anyway, we had our traditional BBQ for the fourth. We invited our families over and had sloppy joes, salads, chips, desserts, and more. After dinner, we talked, played games, and enjoyed eachother's company. We had a RockBand fest going on downstairs on the Wii, and played until dark. Almost everyone participated and it was a blast. As soon as it got dark, we headed for the backyard and set up our chairs and blankets to get settled in for the fireworks show. We have the perfect view of the fireworks at Thanksgiving Point. The show was great as always. The kids had a ton of fun and enjoyed playing with their cousins. Brooke made it about halfway through the show and then went to bed. She was so tired, she fell asleep even with Cole in the other room barking. Of course, I was so caught up with everything else going on, I didn't take any pictures. Thanks everyone for coming!

(Pssst, the next RockBand party will be coming soon!)

Water Fight!

2008-07-02T11:28:00.002-06:00

The other day we were having a lazy day. We had spent the day in our pajamas and were just hanging out. After naps, I made strawberry banana shakes for us. Sierra and Jax went running outside and spilled one of them all over the front porch. So I poked my head out the door and yelled at them to come back inside, since they were still in their pajamas. Jax came in and I was taking care of something with Brooke. The next time I looked outside, Sierra had the hose and was trying to water my flowers. The problem is that the nozzle was set to jet stream, so it was blowing all the blossoms off and killing the plants. Again, I stuck my head out to tell her to knock it off, and the little turd started spraying the glass door. Everytime I tried to go out, she would spray it and laugh her head off because I couldn't go out and get her. Well, I'm not about to be outdone by a 5 year old, so I tried to get Jax to stand in front of the door to distract her while I snuck out the back. But that plan didn't work since he kept flinching and thinking he was going to get wet even though he was behind the glass. But I took off anyway and snuck around the side of the house. I ran between the garbage cans and the truck; so far so good. But when I poked my head around the back of the truck, she saw me. So I took off running at her and of course, she sprayed me right in the chest and down one leg. I got the hose from her and doused her, but it was too late. I was standing in my front yard in my little white t-shirt, soaking wet. I went on the porch to spray off the shake and when I look up, my neighbors are standing in their driveway laughing their heads off at me. Golden yells, "Your shirt needs to be just a little wetter if you want to win the contest!" Hello! I was so embarrassed. They had watched the whole thing. Golden heard me yelling at Sierra out the door, so he went and got Cassie and they watched and waited to see what would happen. I think they are the ones who tipped her off. She saw them, but I didn't. Anyway, Jay got a good laugh when he got home, and I'm sure I'll be enduring jokes all summer long!

Alaskan Cruise

2008-06-25T23:50:00.006-06:00

It's taken a couple weeks to get out of vacation mode, but we wish we could go back. Alaska was so amazing! As a gift for Jay's parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary, his brother, David, paid for them to go on the cruise. The rest of the family was told about it and spent quite a few months saving for the trip. Seven out of the eleven kids were able to go.

We flew from Salt Lake to Seattle early Saturday morning and spent all morning waiting in lines to get onboard the ship. We made it on by noon and explored the ship until we left port around 4:00 in the afternoon. We spent the night sleeping and recovering from our all night cleaning and packing experience the night before. We sailed all day Sunday and did a lot of whale watching. All morning long we would see the spouts of the whales and we even saw some breaching and watched their tales come out of the water as they dived. There weren't any that got real close to the ship, but we all had binoculars that made the whale watching spectacular. We were able to identify Humpback Whales, as well as Orcas. We also saw dolphins this day that were jumping the wake from our ship. We went to a comedy show that night, but weren't too impressed.

The next morning we ported in Ketchikan. The city is on an island and they only have one road that runs the length of the island. We shopped around a bit, then went on a Lighthouse, Totems, and Eagles excursion. We got on a small boat and sailed around a ton of little islands. We spotted 16 Eagle nests, and you could see Eagles in almost every tree. We sailed past Totem Bight State Park which boasts the largest collection of totems in Alaska and then made our way out to a small island with a lighthouse on it. We circled the island which had tons of seals all over the beach. They were kind of hard to spot, as they just looked like shiny rocks. That night, back on the ship, we all met up for dinner, then went to the magic show.

The next day we ported in Juneau. The capital of Alaska has no roads that lead to the city, so you have to get there by plane, or by boat. Again we shopped a bit here, then were able to go for a flight on a Float Plane. (They are the ones that land on water.) The flight was amazing and was the highlight of the trip for me. We flew over a bunch of glaciers. The pictures don't do them justice as they are so large, you can't even imagine them without being there yourself. We flew all over Juneau, and if you are hunters like Jeff and David, you would have been able to spot the bears! The ride was loud, but very smooth and I couldn't even tell when we hit the water. Back on the boat we had dinner at the steakhouse which was awesome. I've never had a better steak and even Jay was impressed.

Early the next morning again, we ported in Skagway. This was my favorite place by far. It was styled in the traditions of the Old West with wooden plank sidewalks and shops that had the same decor. It reminded me a bit of Jackson Hole. We shopped around, making sure we went into the Olde Traine Shoppe, just for Jaxson. Then we took a ride on the White Pass Railroad. The train follows the route the Stampeders followed as they headed into the Yukon to find gold. The stories they told about the trail were just crazy. I never would have made it to the Yukon. I could go on forever about the trail, but it would be way to much to post. You'll have to come for dinner and here the tales! When we made it to the top of the trail, we hopped a bus and went into Canada. We traveled a ways in to a Suspension Bridge. It was 60 feet above the river and was a great spot to relax and admire the view. We made it back to the boat just in time to take off. That night, we cruised up a fiord to Dawes Glacier. It felt just like being on the Titanic as we watched big ice chunks float by the boat that had broken off the glacier. This was the coldest it got on the whole trip. We hung out up there for quite a while and even saw an avalanche that happened way up on the mountain!

The next morning we slept in and ordered room service. We didn't port in Prince Rupert until 4:00 that afternoon. This was the only day that we had bad weather. It had been sunny all week until Prince Rupert and it poured. We braved the rain and headed off through customs to do some shopping and see what there was to see. It wasn't much. We found a grocery store and stocked up on junk for the next day when we'd be at sea. We bought a few more souvenirs and hurried back to the ship.

Friday was spent cruising in the open water back to Seattle. We arrived there early Saturday morning and got off pretty quick. We caught a shuttle to our hotel since we had planned to stay overnight and go to the Mariner's game. The hotel let us check in early, so we were able to ditch our bags and rented a bright blue mini van to check out the sites of the city. Jay and I took off and went to do the Underground Tour. Basically, Seattle was originally built right at sea level and kept having flooding and sewage problems. The town burned down a little bit later and they just built the city on top of what had burned. We went down underneath all the modern buildings and saw all the original sites. It was crazy. We met up with the rest of the group and drove around a bit more then went to the game. Of course the game was fun, even if they were two of the worst teams in the league.

Sunday came bright and early with more waiting in lines at the airport until we finally made it home. Alaska was beautiful and it was nice to get away for a week. We were glad to see the kids, even though they were so spoiled, I thought they would want us to go away again! If you ever get the chance to go, take it. You won't be disappointed.

Alaskan Cruise

2008-06-25T23:49:00.001-06:00

Time Flies!

2008-06-22T11:49:00.006-06:00

Wow! I know everyone has been looking for an update, but life has just been crazy since we got back from vacation last Sunday. We celebrated Father's Day when we got home about 4:00 in the afternoon. It was practically like Christmas, since we gave all the kids their souvenirs that we picked up in Alaska, plus Jay got all his Father's Day gifts. He got a new set of scriptures, Madden 08 for the Wii, and the Indiana Jones trilogy on DVD. Then, we skipped the unpacking, laundry, and cleaning and went to my parent's house to give them their gift from Alaska and tell my dad Happy Father's Day.

Jay was supposed to have Monday off, but got called in to work by his boss, so he was gone all day and off to school that night. I had a show on Tuesday night, and Wednesday morning, so those days were both crazy. Jay finished up his tests and schoolwork on Wednesday and was spent the day in the computer lab until 9 at night. Thankfully he's done for 6 weeks and then only has two elective courses to finish. I've got a major honey-do list to be completed!

Thursday we went to the Strawberry Days Rodeo in Pleasant Grove. It's our favorite rodeo because they serve Strawberries 'N Cream. I think Jax ate two cup fulls and finished off his cousins too. He even asked for more after that! We saw two of Jay's brothers there and found some good seats by Richard and Tracie. (Thanks for saving us a spot!) The kids had a great time and everyone around us just laughed at Brooklyn because she would get so excited when she saw the sheep, horses, and cows. She would scream and clap her hands and watch them as they ran around the arena. Sierra wanted to do the Mutton Bustin', but Jaxson said no way. I think the kids' favorite part was when the motorcycle jumpers came out juust before the bull riding. They went jumping off the ramps and the kids just went crazy clapping and yelling for them. They did some awesome tricks in the air. Sierra liked the bull riding, and the rodeo "princesses". Jaxson liked the rodeo clown. Both kids loved watching the rodeo, especially when they had strawberries in their hands! We had a lot of fun and went home with a bunch of tired kids.

Our trip was awesome and I'll be posting about it soon. Jay took almost 300 pictures! He kept trying to get pictures of the whales and dolphins, but it looks like we ended up mostly with pictures of just the ocean. I'm still sorting through and getting them organized so I'll post as soon as I'm done!

Frenzy

2008-06-05T10:03:00.002-06:00

We thought the time would never come and yet here it is. We are frantically trying to get everything ready for our trip. Trying to get everything cleaned, organized, and packed with three kids constantly in the way is a struggle, but we're doing the best we can. We should have been like Jay's dad and started packing two weeks ago! (I think someone is a little excited.) At least we know that if we forget anything, he probably has two of everything.

Our countdown is coming to a close and since I'll be at the Relay for Life Event on Friday night, our time is definitely short. We're leaving at 5:30 in the morning on Saturday and probably won't sleep well on Friday anyway, so i'm sure we'll be up all night doing last minute preparations.

Wish us luck and I'll post all our gorgeous pics when I get back, so you all can be jealous!

Happy Memorial Day!

2008-05-27T15:13:00.002-06:00

Wow, what a crazy weekend! Thomas on Friday, and Lagoon on Monday. We woke up to a dark and dreary, wet and rainy Monday morning. We had planned to pack up and leave about 9 in the morning, but Jay took one look outside the window and crawled back into bed. So, I got up, showered, dressed, got the kids ready, and harrassed Jay until he decided to get ready too. He complained the whole time about the weather and kept asking me if I was sure I still wanted to go. Well, duh, you can't get me to miss out on a day of roller coasters and rides, even if it is a little rainy. So, we were finally ready to leave at 10:30, only an hour and a half late.

First stop was to Grandma Willes' house to drop off Brooklyn. She's not big enough to go on the rides and wouldn't stay content the whole day in the stroller, so thankfully Grandma said she'd spend the day with her. Next, we grabbed a bite to eat and under clear skies drove to Lagoon.
As we pulled into the parking lot, it started in again pouring rain. We checked in with my mom and dad who were still in Sandy, and decided to wait in the truck a few minutes for it to calm down. It did, so we jumped out and went in.

The first stop is always the Terror Ride, but Jax took one look and saw the skull on the outside and wasn't having any of that. So Sierra and I went on it and she did just fine. Next is always the Carousel. Sierra picked a cat and Jax picked a lion. (Funny how that matches their picks for Webkinz too!) Then we wandered over to the kiddie rides and did the airplanes, helicopters, and other stuff. We met up with the rest of my family, except Geoff who was MIA all day, and continued on doing the kiddie rides. Mom and Dad left to ride the big coasters, and we had fun doing the Ladybug Bop, Dinosaur Drop, Contiki, and other rides. It started raining again and my kids wanted to do the boats where there was an inch of water in the bottom. They were soaked, but Jay ran out to the truck and grabbed our emergency ponchos, a covered stroller for Madi, blankets, and some umbrellas. We stuck it out and continued on to the train ride, which of course was Jax's favorite. After that, Steph, Ty, and Grandma went out to their car so Steph could feed Madi and Grandpa was kind enough to take Sierra and Jaxson so Jay and I could go ride the big coasters with Jenn and Kyle.

We started on the Spider, which I love, and then got in line for Wicked. Jay and I didn't go last year because I was pregnant with Brooke, so this was our first time on that coaster and it was awesome! We loved it. We also did Colossus where we walked right on. That was the one good thing about the rainy day, there were hardly any lines. We hooked back up with Grandpa and since it was almost time for dinner, we headed over, but stopped for a quick ride on Jet Star and The Bat. That was the only big coaster that Sierra was tall enough to ride and the little daredevil loved it and screamed the whole way. My dad's company goes to Lagoon every year on Memorial Day, which was why we went, but they also do a barbecue at one of the pavillions. We had burgers and hot dogs, and all you can eat ice cream! Yum!

After dinner, the sun actually came out, so we stayed and did the Samurai, the Wicked again, and more kiddie rides. Sierra loved them all. Her favorite was The Bat, and the ladybug and dinosaur ones. She can't wait until she's tall enough to ride the big rides. Jaxson would get nervous on some of them, but he did really well and we got him on everything at least once. His favorite was the train, and he also liked the new one called Odysea where they shoot water out and you have to move your fish up and down to try and miss the water. I messed up once and got hit right in the side of the head and then that screwed me up, so I ended up hitting the next one in my leg. No wonder they make the parents sit on the outside!

We had a great time and Jay thanked me later for making him get up and go. This isn't the first time it has started out rainy and then turned into a nice day, so I knew we'd have fun no matter what. Thanks, Grandpa, for the extra special day!

Fun at Lagoon!

2008-05-27T15:10:00.001-06:00

Feeding the Obsession

2008-05-25T22:05:00.003-06:00

On Friday, we decided to indulge Jaxson's train obsession and took the kids to Heber to meet Thomas the Train and go for a ride. We started the day off at the mall, to get Brooklyn's pictures taken. We got done right about lunchtime and went to Jay's favorite place to eat, Brick Oven. It was here that we realized we forgot the camera, and had to run home to get it. We actually timed it pretty perfect, because we got to Heber about a half hour before our train was scheduled to depart. We had just enough time to visit the gift shop and go to the bathroom before they started letting us climb aboard. We found a couple of seats that were together, so we all squeezed in. There was about 6 inches separating the seats from eachother, so I had to sit with my knees in between Jay's in order to fit. I can't imagine how people used to travel like that. It was a pretty old car that we rode in. As for the ride itself, it was kinda lame. We went down the track for 10 minutes, then stopped and went the 10 minutes back to the depot. We basically just looked in people's backyards. But, the kids enjoyed it and were excited that it was Thomas who pulled it.

When we got back, we wandered around to visit each of the activities that they had going on. The kids each got a balloon animal made for them and temporary tattoos put on their hands. We visited the tent where they had a whole Lego train city set up and all the trains were going. Jaxson would have stood there forever and threw a tantrum when we made him leave. We visited the petting zoo next, but Jax was scared and just wanted to go back to the Lego tent. Sierra liked the animals and then went to play with the bubbles they had set out. We finally got Jaxson distracted when we made it into the tent with all the train tables. They had fun playing there for awhile and then we visited the gift shop and made out with an engineer hat and train whistle.

We had a great time, even though Jax was a little ornery. (He fell asleep on the way up!) But, it was a great start to our Memorial Day weekend and the weather even cooperated!

2008-05-25T22:04:00.001-06:00

2008-05-22T21:13:00.001-06:00

Our Little Graduate!

2008-05-22T20:04:00.006-06:00

Sierra did it! She graduated from Discovery Day Preschool on May 21. We were invited to her graduation ceremony where they put oon a little program for the parents.

They each talked about what they had learned in preschool. They recited the days of the week, the months of the year, the Pledge of Allegiance, the ABC's, and counted to 100. They also sang a few of their color songs, and danced for us. At one point, they each had to come out and pick a parent to dance with them. Being the daddy's girl that she is, Sierra picked Jay to go dance with her. He was so embarrassed, and I was just glad it wasn't me! They had a short intermission where they all got dressed in their cap and gowns, and then came back out to get their diplomas. They looked so cute! Miss Lacy did a great job and they have had a blast doing all their school work and going on fieldtrips. Sierra has really enjoyed school and said on the way home that she would miss Miss Lacy. She has learned so much and grown a lot in the two years she has attended and she's really excited for Kindergarten.

Bout Time!

2008-05-21T10:52:00.003-06:00

It's finally happened, Brooklyn got her first tooth! She's only 10 1/2 months old and I saw one appear a few days ago. It broke through the skin today. Hopefully more will soon follow so we can get her eating normal food. She's still busy as a bee and I'm constantly chasing her up the stairs. Her 9 month check-up went great, even though she's on the small side. She's only in the 10th percentile for her weight and height. I told the doctor what she eats and he said she's definitely getting enough. I think she's just so busy that she burns it all off. She's such a fun little girl, but it takes a while for her to warm up to you. She'll just give you a look and stare you down until she's comfortable with you. My family always told me that I have a Stare and apparently she's inherited it. She loves to be thrown in the air and she can say mom and dad. What a fun little personality she brings to our family.

I'm a Barbie Girl!

2008-05-15T21:06:00.002-06:00

Today was Sierra's 5th birthday and it was all about Barbie! She told me she wanted a Barbie Mariposa party and after looking everywhere for weeks, I finally found some things on ebay. I decided to attempt a Barbie cake for her and make sure you all remind me not to make cakes for my kids' birthdays next year. I stress out about them way too much, but I was pleased with the final turn out.

This was the first time we've had a birthday party for Sierra. She invited all her friends from preschool and all but one were able to come. I found miniature Barbie Mariposa dolls, so I decided that they could make and decorate their own little Barbie cakes and then take them home as their prize. They did really well and they turned out pretty cute. Afterwards, we opened presents and she got about 12 Barbie and fairy dolls! I hope she decides she likes to play with dolls. The girls then played for awhile and watched Mariposa until their moms came to pick them up.

Jay's parents came over shortly after, and we opened the family presents. She got the Enchanted DVD, some books, a camera, and a big girl bike! She was soon outfitted in her helmet and elbow pads and headed outside for her first bike ride. It took her a minute to catch on, but she started doing quite well by the time we went back inside. She was so funny to watch. She was so busy watching her feet and the pedals that she forgot to watch where she was going. She crashed about four times, but nothing serious yet.

Unfortunately, Jay had school tonight, so he left about 5. My parents came over later that evening and brought Sierra some new pajamas and cooking sets for her kitchen. Of course, she loved them. It was a very busy day, but Sierra said she had fun and enjoyed playing with all her new toys. Generally our tradition is to go to Hogle Zoo for Sierra's birthday, so we'll have to make that up pretty quick.

Happy Birthday, Sierra!

2008-05-15T20:58:00.001-06:00

Birthday Spotlight on Sierra

2008-05-14T14:12:00.003-06:00

Hmmm, where do I start? When it comes to Sierra, it means a whirlwind of activity. I've never seen someone with so much energy. We always laugh because Sierra never learned to walk, she only learned to run; and on her tiptoes no less! She has always had a smile for everyone and would freak people out by saying hi to them when she was only 6 months old. She just can't stand to take her time doing anything, it all has to be done in a hurry.

Sierra has the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen. They are such a bright blue, they are just incredible. People are always commenting on her eyes and how bright and shiny they are. She is also one of the smartest kids that I've ever seen. She's done really well in school and remembers everything. She has a memory like no other. We have to watch what we say because she'll remember and remind us about it later. She also remembers things that we've done and stuff she's gotten a long time ago. It blows me away the things she comes up with. She recently got a book on cd that has 4 stories in it and now she has the whole thing memorized word for word. And just try to beat her in a game of memory!

Sierra is one of the most stubborn people I've met in my life. We clash occasionally because I'm probably the second most stubborn. She has been this way ever since she was a baby. When she wants something, she'll do whatever it takes to get it, and don't you dare get in her way. We definitely have to pick our battles with her or we'd be fighting all the time. I tell Jay all the time that I hope she uses her stubborness to stay strong and choose the right things rather than the wrong.

Sierra is a major Daddy's Girl. She loves her dad and when Jay is around, he is required to do everything for her. She has always had him wrapped around her finger, and she knows it. She has always gone to Jay for everything and I don't ever see that changing.

Sierra is fearless. She loves Lagoon and loves going on rides. She'll go sledding by herself and try anything. She loves to play and always swing higher and higher. She's not afraid to speak up or let you know what she thinks. She can be as sweet as an angel and the spawn of the devil in the same minute. We love her tons and wouldn't trade her for anything, even though she knows how to push our buttons; a lot!

More fun things about Sierra:

Her favorite colors are pink and purple
She loves anything Disney Princess, Barbie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Dora
She has a major sweet tooth
She loves to play dress-up and changes her clothes at least 3 times a day
She loves to be outside playing all the time
She's really good at playing board games and card games and can beat you everytime
She loves to color and work on workbooks
She loves to watch movies, especially scary ones. She's always picking out Gremlins, or Jurassic Park.
She loves to help me cook in the kitchen and plays with her little one all the time
Fun Sierraisms: She has shoes that "bright up"; When she gets mad she says "Son of a Duck!" I have no idea where that came from.
She loves stuffed animals. In the first few years of her life, she was never without pink teddy or brown teddy. Still, you can see her holding a stuffed animal in almost every picture.

Happy 5th Birthday, Sierra! We love you tons!

All About Sierra

2008-05-14T14:10:00.001-06:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T14:48:00.002-06:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Moms to Be out there! I hope your day was as special as mine. We got up and went to church first thing in the morning. Sierra had to give a talk in Primary and she did a great job. She had it all memorized, but made me help her once she got up there. After church, Jay made lunch and put the kids down for their quiet time, which didn't last long at all. So, Jay took them upstairs to wrap my presents and then they brought them down so I could open them. I got a Christus statue for the front room, the Star Wars trilogy on DVD, and a couple of books. I was so excited to get the new Fablehaven book, as well as Stephenie Meyer's new book, The Host. After we watched the Jazz game (GO JAZZ), we decided to go up to my Mom's house for dinner since I wasn't cooking and Jay only knows how to make grilled cheese. They had a party the night before, so there was lots of good food left, including an ice cream bar! Mmmmmmm. We played a few games and hung out for awhile before we came home. It was a fun day and I'm so glad to be a mom. For all the trouble the kids get into, they sure do make life more fulfilling!

Joy in the Simple Things

2008-04-18T22:10:00.002-06:00

It always amazes me how much joy I find in watching my kids learn and discover new things. They are always excited and happy over everything and it always makes me laugh.

Brooklyn is growing up so fast. In the last couple of weeks, she has learned to clap, wave, stand up and cruise along the furniture, and get back down without just falling. It is weird to walk in and find her standing up in her crib now. She's such a smart little girl and I'm afraid she takes after her big sis! She crawls over and climbs on anything that is sitting on the floor whether it's blankets, pillows, or totes full of toys. She still doesn't have any teeth, but she wants to eat our food so bad. I think it's time we have to switch. Good thing we've got two Food Choppers in the cupboard! At least she still gets super excited to see us when we come in her room, or when Jay gets home from work. She about jumps out of my arms to go see her Dad. I think it makes his day.

As for Jax, his obsession with trains is getting out of control. As I was putting him to bed the other night, he heard a train and wanted to go look out the front door. Since it was bedtime, I told him no, but that I'd hold him up for a minute to see it. Just my luck, it was the slowest moving train I've ever seen and I had to hold that kid up until it was gone. He's so heavy, I thought my arm was going to fall off! It definitely went numb. He even got up twice in the middle of the night last night and went in the girl's room to look out the window to see the train. (He can climb on Sierra's bed to see it, but not his own.) And, unfortunately, he woke Brooke in the process. I'm glad he finds such enjoyment in trains, but I think he's getting too obsessed. He told me he wants to drive a train when he grows up. Thanks so much, Grandpa, for buying him his first train set!

Sierra is still learning and growing too, even though it's not as simple as ABC's and 123's. She is starting to write really well, and her pictures are actually of things now instead of just lines and dots. She drew me a great picture of our family and another one of a flower. I can actually tell what they are too! She is also great at coloring. She stays in the lines really well and is great at doing her worksheets. She gets so excited about anything princess, and still doesn't know how to walk anywhere without running. If only I could get her excited about cleaning her room!

Life is always a challenge, but having kids definitely helps you to slow down and find joy in the simple things!

I Give Up!

2008-04-04T18:50:00.002-06:00

I give up trying to raise our kids! I told Jay that I'll go back to work full time and he can be a stay at home Dad! It seems like no matter how hard you try to protect your kids and keep them safe, they just find trouble!

I constantly vacuum and pick things up downstairs and yet I'm always finding Brooklyn with something in her mouth that she shouldn't have. Having one of my kids choke to death is one of my biggest fears and I don't know how she continually finds things to put in her mouth. It looks spotless to me and yet she has a knack for finding the one thing I miss.

Then, tonight at dinner, I was clearing off the table and putting the food away while the kids finished eating their dinner. (You know it takes them an hour to eat!) So, then Sierra announces that Jax has food in his nose and I look up there and it's a pea! What the !!??!! Who would ever think of sticking a pea up his nose? All I can think about is the movie One Fine Day where the kid has a marble up his nose and they take him to the doctor and use some tool called an alligator to get it out. I was thinking we'd have to take another trip to the emergency room that would cost us another $500! Of course, Jay ended up working 12 hours today because he didn't have coverage at one of his stores, so I'm already upset about that and as I call him, I don't know whether to laugh or cry. He must love getting these phone calls at work! Luckily, we were able to blow it out, but this will be a fun story to tell future girlfriends!

Birthday Fun

2008-03-27T09:26:00.002-06:00

My birthday was on Monday, but Jay had to work and then had school, so we decided to do something fun to celebrate on Wednesday when he had the day off. Monday was fairly normal, taking care of the kids and everything until there was a knock on the door about 6:30. We walked up and there were two presents sitting on the front porch. Then, Jay comes walking up. He had decided to skip school and come home to celebrate. What a great surprise! We opened presents and then got some pizza for dinner. He got me an iVoice to play my iPod on and a new blender since our old one broke. I also had done some shopping for clothes, so I was pretty set there! On Wednesday, we got ready and went to IHOP for breakfast. I love restaurant breakfast and my birthday is the only time I can make Jay take me out for breakfast! Then we had decided to take the kids to Kangaroo Zoo; a place that has big inflatable toys for them to play on. They had a blast and even Jax went on the big slide by himself. He had a little trouble climbing up the ladders, but he had fun. Sierra, of course, skampered up everything quick as a monkey. We even tried to put Brooklyn on one, but anytime we got near one she'd bury her head into my shoulder. I'm sure she'll be running right along with the others in another few months though. Jay and I were just able to relax and let the kids tire themselves out. We also stopped for Cold Stone ice cream on the way home. Yum! It was a geat way to celebrate. Thanks Jay!

2008-03-24T15:44:00.001-06:00

Happy Easter!!

2008-03-24T15:14:00.003-06:00

Wow, what a busy week!

It seems like life never stops for one moment! Maybe it is because Brooklyn has decided to start crawling everywhere. I came downstairs the other day and she had crawled into a laundry basket full of clothes I had just folded. She even tries to follow me up the stairs! If there's something on the floor, she has no problems climbing over it. She's busy, busy, busy, and only 8 months old. I think she's going to give her sister a run for her money.

Wednesday was Jay's day off, but we definitely didn't get any relaxing done. After Sierra went to school, we had to head up to the dentist. Ugh. I remember why I never go. I had a filling coming loose that I needed fixed and it's been a few years. The last dentist I went to was horrible and even though we fixed a bunch of things, they were all bad again. Word to the wise... find a good dentist! My fillings got fixed and look great now! Of course, both Jay and I have to go back two more times to get work done. Sierra's teeth looked great, but her mouth is still too small to get x-rays done. We were there all afternoon and then had to hurry home to be with the guy who was installing our door. That's right, we bought a storm door and had it installed. I've never been so excited about getting a door before! It's glass, but you can pull the top down and a screen comes out. We've been wanting one for a long time and were finally able to do it. Now we just have to get used to it slamming shut on us!

On Friday night, we colored our Easter Eggs. We did 3 dozen and the kids did a great job. All Jax's eggs were blue and green. He couldn't do any that were pink, purple, or red, because those colors are for girls! Sierra wrote her name on about 6 of hers, and of course, Jay did his traditional St. Louis Cardinals egg! I think there were only 3 spills, but Jax cried when he realized there were no more eggs to color. He would have done it all night!

Saturday was cleaning the house day, since Jay was at school and work from 8 in the morning until 11 at night. We finally got into bed about 2 in the morning after getting everything ready. Sunday morning dawned bright and early. We showered and got ready for church and the kids finally woke up about 8:30. Jax and Brooke were up first and after he was ready, I sent Jax in to wake up Sierra. She laid around until we told her she better see if the Easter Bunny came. After that, she was up and dressed in one minute! They lined up on the stairs, just like Christmas morning and came down to check out their baskets. Along with all the candy, the Easter bunny left some spring clothes, books, towels, flip-flops, and a toy for each. There was also a wagon for the whole family to share. It will be great for our summer outings! This is the first time the kids have ever worn flip-flops, and Sierra was fine, but Jax is still getting used to his. He just shuffles his feet, instead of walking so they won't fall off. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen! We hunted for eggs, which the kids were pretty good at, and then finished getting ready for church. After church, Jay took them on a wagon ride around the neighborhood while I made deviled eggs for our dinner. We headed up to Grandma Holt's house for ham, mashed potatoes, raspberry salad, white frozen slush, and cheesecake. Dinner tasted awesome and we watched Enchanted when we were done. (It was a really cute show!) Mom also gave me my birthday present: an electric toothbrush and water pik. Surprise, she works at the dentist's office! No really, it was great and something I'd asked for! We had a great time and Easter was fabulous!

Girl's Night Out

2008-03-16T23:22:00.002-06:00

On March 12, we had a blast for our Girl's Night Out. I had planned a long time ago to take Sierra to Disney On Ice: Princess Wishes. I asked my mom and two sisters, Steph, and Jenn, if they wanted to go, so we made it an official Girl's Night!

We met up with them about 5:00 and drove up to the Gateway Mall for dinner. We were lucky to get into California Pizza Kitchen and had just enough time for dinner. Our pizza tasted great! We then made our way over to the Energy Solutions Arena to catch the show. We saw tons of little princesses dressed up and on their way as well. It was so fun to see all the little girls. As for Sierra, her dress-ups are completely hammered. They've got stains, holes, and are pretty much falling apart. I decided to get her a princess t-shirt to wear instead of a new dress, and she was happy with that! (She had to wear it for two days!)

We walked in and found our seats and visited the gift shop before the show started. Sierra picked out an Ariel wand that lit up and plays music. We also stopped to grab some popcorn and lemonade and made it back just as the show started. Sierra was so cute to watch. She clapped and yelled when each princess came out and sang all the songs with them. She sat wide-eyed through the whole program and ate half the bucket of popcorn! When we stopped for intermission, she turned to me and said, "Can we watch it again?"

They did an awesome job with all the costumes and props and kept us entertained for two hours! We were so glad that we went and had a great time with all the girls!

2008-03-16T23:21:00.001-06:00