The Barnes' Yard

Words of Wyatt

2011-09-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

(looking through a book about barn animals)

Wyatt: "I like horses. I like cows. I like sheep. I like dogs. (pause) I don't like chickens. I like cats. I like goats."

About 18 months ago, Wyatt had an apparently traumatic incident with a chicken. That chicken has since been made into soup, but he still holds a grudge.

Lyrical Lydia

2011-08-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

We all love the movie Tangled here. Espcially Liddy. So much in fact that my darling 2 1/2 year old daughter who doesn't have more than 100 words in her vocabulary can say "simpatico" complete with air quotes. Frying pans-who knew, right?

Super Big Picture Post! Early 2011

2011-05-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

The kids playing on the slide on one of our trips to Artic Circle. This place was nice during the winter because it was close, indoors, big and got their wiggles out.

One of the first warmish days we had, they insisted on a picnic outside. They are eating mac and cheese.

On Sunday afternoon. And I promise, this picture is not staged! I walked into the living room and they were all sound alseep on top of each other! Jeremy sure is a good daddy!

I was cleaning out the kitchen and the little found these plastic margarita glasses. They wanted their juice in them.

Ace loves ice cream!

My boys!

I am always finding Lydia in weird places like this. And with a dirty face. That girl cannot keep clean!

She also has taken to making her bed in weird random places. I also find little beds for dolls everywhere too. Like, in the kid's training potty.

Wyatt has a hard time going to sleep by himself. So we started locking him in his room at night. At the beginning of this, he would always fall asleep by the door, and we would move him to bed. This night, he fell asleep propped up in the corner. Poor kid! He is sleeping much better now.

We were all being silly one night before bed and I drew smiley faces on their tummies. Wyatt thought it was AWESOME!

Wyatt and his best friend Graham. I have watched Graham all year long. These two are only a few months apart in age and get along so great! They are also the trouble twins and have wreaked havoc on many a thing. It is so fun to see these to together.

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

2011-05-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

At the Idaho Falls Kite Flying Festival! It was a perfectly windy day to take our kites to Sandy Downs and test out our kite flying skills. They had a professional company of kite flyers there showing off their HUGE fancy kites and doing some trick kite flying, so it was a lot of fun to see them do their stuff.

But we didn't do too bad either! Aidan was pretty good at it! He kept this kite up for a while, until the wind died down. Unfortunately, Wyatt wouldn't even try. He did like watching all the kites. There was a dog one there that he loved! Lydia even kept her kite up for a little bit!

All the kids there also got these pinwheels too. It was a really fun day! We hope to see you there next year!

Easter

2011-05-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Their Easter clothes. Wyatt was being a little stubborn today. And I love Lydia's bows!

The Easter bunny came to the Barnes house on Saturday morning. For several reasons. I didn't want the sugar high to happen right before we attended Sacrament meeting, I didn't want to have to pry them away from their toys when we just barely gotten them and we really wanted to keep an empahsis on the meaning of Easter and why we celebrate it for that Sunday.

The kids each got their own chair and Easter basket. They all got a Butterfly Habitat to share. We are going to send away for the catepillers very soon so we can see them grow!

Major candy haul! I love doing their Easter baskets-I color code everything. Lydia gets pink stuff, Wyatt gets blue and Aidan gets green!

Of course, Wyatt got lots of Thomas things.

We also had a small Easter egg hunt with just us 5. We have some cute plastic eggs in the shape of animals that we have had since Aidan's first Easter, so we filled those up and hid them in the backyard. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day.

Wyatt REALLY got into the Easter egg finding groove.

My silly kids. Lydia was NOT into the hunting, so she pretty much jumped on the trampoline while her brothers found her eggs. She was, however, into the eating of the Easter egg candy.

That night, we dyed eggs. It was MESSY, but the kids loved every single second. They kept wanted me to boil more eggs, but they don't like to eat hard boiled eggs, so it would just go to waste! We need to think of something we can dye that wouldn't be a waste of food, because they could have painted for hours.

I didn't want to stain their clothes, which is why everyone is stripped down to diapers (well, Aidan had his pants on, and Jeremy and I took the chance of getting dye on our clothes).

The fruits of our labors. They turned out really nice, I thought.

After the egg dying mess was cleaned up, we told the kids to get in their jammies and we were going to learn more about the reason we celebrate Easter. We made Easter cookies. Using scriptures, we made a cookie recipe (like meringue) that helped to illustrate what Christ went through. We end the night by placing a sheet of cookies in a preheated oven and sealing it up with tape (to represent Jesus being sealed in the tomb). No cookies are eaten. The next morning, we removed the tape and talked about the Resurrection, as we ate the cookies. It was a neat experience that I would like to repeat when the kids are a bit older. Aidan got it, but the littles didn't. We also watched Lamb of God before Church. I was really glad we did the fun Easter stuff the day before. It really brought the Spirit into our house and I think it made an impression on Aidan too.

After Church, we went out to the Barnes for our Easter dinner and egg hunt with them. Again, Lydia did not get the egg hunt thing. It was really beyond her, apparently. So everyone just started to stick eggs in her basket, and she would say, "Ank Ooo!" I think she got more eggs than everyone, even though she didn't do anything!

She wouldn't even pick up this egg. Silly little girl.

Wyatt was EVERYWHERE! He loved the egg hunts! I am going to have to do that again this summer-some sort of hiding game. He had a blast!

Aidan had fun as well. This was about half way through. This was also his first year to be allowed to go with the big kids.

We spread out all the eggs to give back to fill for next year (we were figuring there was about 750 eggs total!) That was a whole lot of candy!

Happy Birthday Wyatt!

2011-05-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

On March 8, Wyatt turned 3! (Yes, I have a 2 year old and a 3 year old. Have mercy on me.) He wanted trains, and trains it would be!

I was actually ridiciously proud of this cake. I thought it turned out super cute!

And what did Wyatt get for his birthday? Thomas the Train stuff, of course! This kid loves Thomas. The shirt he is wearing was for his birthday too. He got Thomas play sets, Thomas books and movies, Thomas clothes. Everything Thomas!

We took them to Artic Circle for his birthday dinner too. He loved it! What can I say about my sweet little boy (other than his obsession with trains)? His favorite color is blue, his favorite food is cereal and if we let him, he would be outside 24/7. Our Wyatt is very independent and knows what he wants, and few things deter him from getting his way. Wyatt loves to go to nursery, and loves to sleep with all of his stuffed animals. We love you so much Wyatt! Our family wouldn't be the same without you!

Happy Birthday Lydia!

2011-05-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Way back on February 21, Miss Liddy turned two!!! My baby is really no longer a baby anymore. I thought it would be sadder, but I am actually really excited to see them all growing up. We always decorate their bedroom door with streamers and fill their rooms with balloons the night before so they wake up to a surprise! Then they spend the day running through the streamers and playing with balloons.

Her ladybug cupcakes. That I made myself!

She was all about opening her presents and blowing out her candles this year!

Her BIG present was a play kitchen that we found at DI for $10! It was a big hit, especially with the play food and dishes she also recieved.

And books-of course she got books. We still read these princess books all the time to her.

Her party was on a Sunday, so the 5 of us went out to Artic Circle for her actual birthday dinner the next night. Everyone had a really good time. They even got ice cream!

What else to say about our sweet Liddy Lou? She loves shoes. Loves them. She is starting to really improve at talking (however, on her actual birthday, she wasn't really saying much) and really doesn't stop talking, even if you have no idea what she is saying. Lydia can be VERY girly (wants her nails painted, her hair done, put on tiaras, loves to wear skirts and dresses) but will not hesitate to get down and dirty with the boys either. She has a white kitty that she takes almost everywhere. Lydia is also a wonderful dancer and loves music. She dances everywhere, to everything. Miss Liddy is really very easy going and says hi to everyone. She also loves to color. But she is also fiercely independent and always wants to get her way. I guess just like any typical 2 year old! We love you so much Princess! I cannot wait to see the wonderful person you grow into!

More Loved Than Thomas

2011-04-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Someday (like in 2 weeks!) I will be writing and reading for fun once again-let me finish up this semester and I will update with birthdays, holidays, milestones and the boring mundane stuff of life I don't want to forget. Tonight, I want to write a few words about my Wyatt.

It is after11 pm, and he is sitting on my lap, drinking apple juice (or gurgling apple juice all over my laptop), and talking my ear off about Baby Zoe (his new cousin), Thomas and Percy (his obsessions), his age (he will hold up 3 fingers and tell you he is 3 and his birthday is in March), Jeremy (he will NOT call his Dad by his proper title, which tickes Jeremy off), his favorite blanket, and whatever goes on in his active and imaginative 3 year old mind. And he is giving me lots of hugs, snuggles and kisses. A little known thing about Wyatt is that he is a snuggler-a very touchy feely, needs lots of physical attention-type of boy. But he is very particular with who he snuggles with. Wyatt hates going to bed by himself (which leads to his late nights, and his falling asleep with us), hates waking up alone, and basically just hates being by himself. He can tell you every train that lives on Sodor Island and will only wear the latest in Thomas clothing, play with the latest in Thomas toys, and watch only those show that have to do with Sir Toppham Hatt and his happy little train workers. His birthday was a Thomas the Train Extravaganga. His favorite food is cereal, and some days has that for all 3 meals. He fiercely loves his sibilings and his Barky. He is also fiercely protective of his independence, and will not back down from a power struggle in order to get what he wants. He likes to be called "Wyatt" and nothing else. No nicknames for him! He knows who he is, and he wants you to know who he his too.

I just asked Wyatt I just asked Wyatt who he liked more, Thomas or Percy. He replied with Thomas. I then asked him if he loved Thomas or Mama more. After thinking for a couple of seconds, he answered, "Mama!" and rewarded me with a hug around my neck and a kiss on my cheek. I am learning that I can't force him into what I think I want him to be. I can't (and shouldn't) force him to wear dinosaurs when he really wants to be wearing trains. And a million other little choices that I try to make for him every day. He knows who he is-he knows what he wants. And he knows what is important. And what is important is that Mama, Jeh-my, A-in, Lee-a, Barky, Grama, Grapa, JuJu, Z-hoie, 'Nam and his other friends and family members are more important than Thomas.

A long awaited day . . .

2011-02-19T16:52:00.000-08:00

Aidan has lost his first tooth! He was so so so excited-all of his friends have lost teeth and he was the only one that hadn't yet and he was aching to join "The Tooth Fairy Club." Ace said that it didn't hurt at all-he was biting down on a marshmellow and out it came (it had been loose for a couple days). This of course warranted calls to grandparents to tell them the exciting news.

So, what does the tooth fairy give out these days? Aidan says $15. I told him that he tooth fairy wasn't big enough to carry that kind of cash.

Will You Be My Valentine?

2011-02-19T16:35:00.000-08:00

The day of love came to our house quietly and with heart shaped pizza! And pink strawberry flavored cupcakes (that the boys helped me make).
Yay! Presents and pizza! This is the best day ever!
Each kid got one of these sock monkeys and new jammies (because I love new jammies!) Both of the boys are being silly with them. Lydia wasn't feeling great-she caught the flu the day before and we spent part of the day at the doctor. Her medicine hadn't quite yet kicked in yet. And because I promised you a shot of her wearing her new outfit . . .
Happy Valentines Day! We love you!

9 years and counting . . .

2011-02-19T16:25:00.001-08:00

On February 8, Jeremy and I celebrated 9 years of matrionial bliss. We took the kids to Mom and Dad's (thanks!), came home and made ourselves a candlelit steak dinner, with dancing (to a custom made playlist) and cheesecake. We always have cheesecake on our anniversary because that is what we served at our wedding reception. We have been through a lot in 9 years, and our love has only grown stronger. Happily we have 3 wonderful children, a dog, and a house. We have all we need. Love you babe!

Words of Wyatt

2011-02-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

I was holding Wyatt as he was waking up from his nap and we were talking. "Wyatt, are you a monkey?" "No." "Are you a shark?" "No." "Are you an elephant?" "No." "Are you an airplane?" "No." "Are you a choo choo train?" "No." "Well, what are you then?" He thinks about it for a minute and says, very dejected sounding, "I'm just Wyatt."

Anyone can sew!

2011-02-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

Even me! I got a sewing machine for Christmas and have been having so much fun with it. Look at some of the projects I have made (links included if you are interested in making some of these too!).

Church bags (my own inventions, I'm sure you can figure it out) and crayon rolls. Each kid has a bag (Aidan's is the flames, Wyatt the trains and Lydia's the pink, flowery, girly one) and a matching crayon roll. We added a spiral notepad, a book, a treat and a small toy and that is what they get to do at Church. They have really enjoyed these, and are quite protective of their bags. These will get a lot of use in the years to come! Valentines day skirt and shirt for Lydia. This took me less than an hour to do. (I love the ribbon hem.) She is going to wear it to Church tomorrow and then again of Valentine's Day. I will be sure to get a picture of it on her. Sewing things for the kids have been so much fun! I am going to make some pillow covers for my next project. These make me so happy! I actually can sew something!

And as long as it is brag on Rachel day, I was on the news talking about the new educational plans proposed in Idaho. Check it out!

Slipping Through My Fingers. . .

2011-02-07T15:28:00.001-08:00

Where is the time going with my sweet baby girl? She will be 2 in just 2 more weeks! Liddy Lou is definately not a baby anymore. She has turned into a little girl. Just now, I was working on some homework while listening to my iTunes and the Abba song "Slipping Through My Fingers" came on and Lydia crawled into my lap and gave me her customary kisses and hugs and just snuggled against me. I make it policy that when my kids crawl into my lap, that I stop and give them my undivided attention for a few minutes. So I stopped what I was doing, put my arms around her and listened to the song.

"Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture and save it from the funny tricks of time."

That lyric came on, and she had decided that she had enough and wiggled down. Before she left my room, she pointed to her eyes, then crossed her arms over her chest, and pointed at me, and grinned. It is the way we taught her to say "I Love You." That picture will be forever saved in my mind. I love you too, my darling sweetheart.

Sledding

2011-01-30T10:51:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday, we were bored. We wanted to do something, but had no money and no really good ideas. But, we had just gotten a good 3 inches of fresh powder the night before, the sun was shining and we did have snow clothes, so we called up Grandpa and took the kids sledding. Aidan's action shot-he loved sledding! I don't know how many times he went down, and then trotted back up the hill.
Grandpa and Aidan. We were so happy that Grandpa came with us! We had so much fun with him. He was so good to help haul Aidan's tube back up.

Aidan thought he was some sort of extreme sledder. I think this is the first time we have ever taken him sledding. What slacker parents we are!

Jeremy, Lydia and Wyatt. Lydia had so much fun! You could hear her laughing all the way down the hill! Every time a sled was open at the top, she'd jump into it and wait for someone to take her down. Wyatt was a bit less enthused with the concept. We kinda had to stick him in the tube with someone and then go. Jeremy got the ingenious idea to bring a rope so he could pull the kids in the tube up from the bottom. It really saved arms and legs. I even went downa few times. I forgot how exhilarating it is to rush down in a sled! And I always made it the furthest. All in all, a very fun time. We promised Aidan that we will go again before all the snow melts. I figure we have until April to make good on that promise!

Happy 2011 Everyone!

2011-01-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

We had a good time welcoming in the New Year! We decided to throw a little family party and we had a fun time! There was lots of food (of course, what party is complete without good food?), fun decorations, lots of games . . .
The kids and the "boys" played Wii downstairs. Upstairs, we had a mean Scrabble game going on!
And then when midnight came, we toasted with sparkling cider. . .
Silly string, noise makers, poppers . . .
And midnight kisses. Everyone but Lydia made it to midnight. It was a really good time.

On New Year, we took the kids and went to Green Canyon to go swimming. No pictures, but it was a lot of fun. The babies are really getting the hang of swimming. That night, we had 3 very tired kids, and a very tired mommy and daddy. Happy New Year! I hope yours is full of happiness, fun and love!

First Cavity

2011-01-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

Aidan unfortunately had a little tiny cavity and had to get it filled. (No, no baby teeth have fallen out yet. Aidan is anxiously waiting for that. Every single one of his friends have lost teeth except for him and he is feeling a little left out.) Anyway, he thought what anesthesia did to his smile was pretty funny.

Merry Christmas 2010!

2011-01-29T08:44:00.000-08:00

Oh, Christmas! We had a really fun Christmas this year. The kids are at the age where things are totally magical and their enthusiam is so contagious! Christmas Eve dinner and FHE at my parents house. My silly little chickens posing for the camera. Please note Lydia's adorable Christmas hairbows! Yes, I made them myself!
I just love this picture of my mom and Liddy. I think they look so much alike! And-a better pic of the bows too!
As always, we had a delicious dinner (the most looked forward to dinner of the year-prime rib, shrimp cocktail, spinach salad, twiced baked potatoes (Julia's specialty), rolls and creme brulee. Yum!) and a nice FHE where we are able to talk about the meaning of Christmas. This year, we did a simple candy cane craft and explained to the kids what the colors of Christmas were and Grandma and Grandpa gave them a voice recorded book of the real Christmas story. It was a sweet and simple evening. And then come the jammies! The start of the Christmas present opening frenzy! The jammies on Christmas Eve tradition started with my Mema, and I am so so glad that my Mom has continued it for her grandchildren. It truly is one of my favorite traditions ever! The kids look happy with their new jammies! Grandma always picks out the softest, cutest ones!After dinner, FHE and jammies, we went home to get the hyper, excited little ones tucked in to dream of sugarplums. After reading our scriptures, setting out cookies, and kisses, the kids fell asleep surprising quickly and then Santa and Mrs. Claus went to work! This is what our living room looked like after they had come and gone!

Christmas morning-PILLOW PETS!!!! The kids have been wanting one of these since July, and they never ever wavered in which ones they wanted. Ace got a penguin, Wy got a monkey (he calls it an "oo-oo, ah-ah") and Liddy got a lady bug. They still sleep with them every single night and carry them around everywhere.

Aidan's long asked for BatCave. Wyatt got a Thomas the Train set (another long asked for present) and Lydia got a cute little doll house. Among lots of other things. When you start your Christmas shopping in September, you forget about everything you got early! So, my kids were a bit spoiled (however, they deserve to be-they are the best kids ever!)

After our Christmas morning frenzy, Mom, Dad and Julia came over to our house for MORE presents and brunch (cinnamon rolls and mini fritatas-Christmas is full of good food!) I don't have any pictures of that-but I did get a sewing machine!!! YAY!!!!

After brunch, we hurry up and get ready for our 3rd Christmas frenzy of the day with Jeremy's family.

Jeremy (in his new shirt) and the babies.

Lydia being helped by Aunt Angela and cousin Kaleb. She got some of the cutest PJ pants I have ever seen. Jill-Mom made all the grandkids and all the boys PJ pants, in coordinating family prints. We were the doggie family. The kids love theirs and wear then until I make them put them in the wash because they are covered in stink and breakfast! A huge part of the gang! When all the Barnes' get together, there is a whole lot of us!

After presents, we get another yummy dinner, and then almost too tired to walk, we go home and relax. Christmas was such a fun time this year. Lots of family, lots of food, lots of fun, lots of love. Everything that Christmas is supposed to be.

Cookies for Santa

2011-01-22T17:47:00.001-08:00

Aidan was very concerned that we give Santa cookies. He was convinced that he would starve if we didn't. So, Christmas eve morning, we baked up some sugar cookies and let the kids go to town with the frosting and sprinkles. What resulted was a very fun, memorable mess that will definately turn into a Barnes family tradition. Ace hard at work.
Wyatt was surprisingly into this. Actually, not so surprising. If it has to do with making a mess, he is your kid.
And sweet, sugary Lydia. I think she worked on this one cookie the whole time. She kept frosting, sprinkling, then licking it all off and starting again. This cookie did not go on Santa's plate. Even Jeremy got in on it! He is a master froster. Before bed that night, each child got to choose a cookie to place on Santa's plate, and Aidan placed it on the piano bench next to a big glass of egg nog and a note for the man in red (that Aidan wrote himself!). And of course, it was the first thing they checked in the morning-empty glass, only crumbs left and Santa himself wrote back! If I learn to scan, maybe I'll add it in later. Oh, the magic of Christmas!

Aidan the Christmas Elf

2011-01-22T17:38:00.000-08:00

Every year, Aidan's school puts together a big Christmas program that all the kids perform in and the families are able to watch. It is so fun! The kids really know their songs and they do actions and everything, and you come away feeling just a little bit happier about the crazy Christmas season. Aidan's grade were Santa's elves. They even provide the costumes! Isn't he cute?
The rest of us waiting for the program to start. The littles did really well waiting and then watching. They loved the music and when Santa came on stage, they would scream, "HO HO HO!" They loved watching their big brother.

On stage. The first graders sang "Up On the Rooftop." I think they did the absolute best of the whole entire school. It was such a fun program!

Christmas Decorations

2011-01-22T17:19:00.000-08:00

I love to decorate for Christmas! (I think it comes from my mom.) Our house was no exception this year! Our house. Jeremy takes such pride in putting up the lights. He did a fantastic job this year.
My Willow Tree Nativity. I got the creche this year for Christmas. I think the collection is completed. I just love my sweet little Nativity set. I always get excited thinking about setting it up every year.

I made this stocking board to display our cute stockings. Mom helped me make them last year from some fleece blankets we found for $5. I also have a matching tree skirt. They hold a lot of goodies! Santa has a hard time filling them up to the top!

And the grand finale of the tree! I really loved our tree this year. It managed to be both beautiful and fun at the same time! If only the kids would have kept their hands off of it!

Words of Wyatt #2

2010-12-01T20:59:00.001-08:00

Wyatt was making footprints in the new snow, when he yells to me, "Mom, Mom! They're following me!"

Thanksgiving Thoughts

2010-11-25T22:13:00.000-08:00

Tonight I am just wanting to write down some thoughts I have. And advance apology for the cheesiness.

I am thankful. I am actually so incredibly blessed and I spend too much time worrying about everything that I don't have that I never actually think about what I have. I have an amazing, hard working, kind and generous husband who is my world and I am his. I have 3 beautiful, wonderful, healthy children that I love and who love me. I have a family who loves me unconditionally and is willing to help out whenever we need them too. I have great friends who are such a support system to me and that I am able to have fun with. We have a warm roof over our heads. We have the gospel in our lives. Jeremy has a good, steady job with good benefits that he enjoys. We have everything we need and a lot of what we want. I have talents that I am blessed to share with others. I am happy. And I am thankful for that. I need to keep working on remembering that I am thankful for all the many things that I have.

I am also thankful for what I am. I wear many hats-mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, soon to be student, member of the Church, daughter of God. All these experiences have turned me into who and what I am. Every experience bad, good and otherwise have turned me into me! I wouldn't change a thing. And I am thankful for that. I am just thankful. Thankful for everything I have, am and going to be.

Thanksgiving Crafts

2010-11-24T21:57:00.000-08:00

This is what I made for our Thanksgiving table. What a cute rafter of turkeys! Aidan also made some sparkly name tags. I will be sure to get a picture when it is all set up on the table tomorrow.
Close up shot of the little guy.
And this is a cute hair clip I made of Lydia. Maybe tomorrow before dinner I will make the boys some turkey pins.
ETA: the other turkey pins! These were so so much fun! Too bad we can only wear them 1 day out of the year.

These were fun, but I am getting very excited for my Christmas crafts! I have a bunch planned!

Crazy Hair Day

2010-11-24T21:54:00.001-08:00

It was Crazy Hair Day at Aidan's school. He wanted to show his school spirit, so this is the "do" that we came up with. I actually really like it!

Playing in the Snow

2010-11-24T21:39:00.000-08:00

Well, after an unseasonably warm Halloween, we are now having an unseasonably cold Thanksgiving. (Strange how that happens . . . ) As I type this, it is 1 degree F, with -15 degree F wind chill. So, a bit chilly. We also have about 18" of snow, with drifts of about 2-3 ft. We bundled the kids up yesterday to play-here are some pictures. Miss Lydia in her new snow gear. She waddles around like a penguin, but at least she is warm! Jeremy would throw her in a snow drift and she would just laugh! Liddy had a fun time in the snow. Barky doesn't like the snow at all. He has one little path that he made that he uses to do his business, but other than that, he stays inside. Smart dog!
Wyatt thought the snow was pretty cool too. Except, he did not like getting thrown in the snow drift. He liked making chairs and sitting in the snow instead. It was actually pretty difficult to get him to come in. I thought his hands would be frozen off!

Here is Aidan up to his waist in snow. He loves the snow and he runs to the window first thing in the morning to give me the weather report. However, I think his favorite thing about playing in the snow is he gets to come in and have hot chocolate!

We look forward to a fun, cold and snowy winter this year!

A Thanksgiving Aidanism

2010-11-24T21:19:00.000-08:00

Aidan likes to make up jokes. He thinks he is hilarious, but honestly, he is no Jeff Foxworthy. Here is one of his jokes that I thought was quite clever:

Aidan: Why did the turkey cross the road?
Me (kinda scared to hear the answer): Why?
Aidan: Because the Pilgrims and Indians were going to eat it! (raucous laughter)

Random 11/17

2010-11-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

Today, the babies (actually, I can't call them babies for much longer-they are getting too big!) were watching "Super Why" on PBS. When it got to the part that they said to "put your hand in" (talking to the "audience") Lydia squealed and pointed to the TV. Wyatt, on the other hand, politely shook his head no. I must have laughed for 5 minutes.

Wyatt does a mean robot. We found this out during one of our random dance parties. Lydia has a sweet twirl (and will probably be our singer) and Aidan jumps up and down and wiggles his fanny.

The no cable thing has been one of the best things to happen ever. We get so much more done, we have so much more fun as a family, even the Spirit is stronger. And honestly, we don't miss it all that much.

I had Parent Teacher Conferences for Aidan last week. He is doing great! His handwriting is looking so good, he is a reading maniac and he has a natural talent for math. We are so proud of him! Aidan loves school, loves his teacher, has great friends, and just has a desire to do good.

I am getting so excited for Christmas. I am making a good majority of gifts this year (unfortunately, I can't post about several of them yet because then it wouldn't be a surprise for you!) and it has been fun to find materials and try to make it perfect for the person recieving the gift. I love this time of year!

Wyatt, Lydia and I spent and hour and a half at the pet store today. We looked at every fish, every reptile (Lydia did not like these so much), every rodent (I think they both wanted to bring home a ferret) and every bird in the store. The were so excited and I just loved seeing them observing all the animals. I love watching them have experiences like this.

We got family pictures done. They really turned out well. Luckily, most of you will be recieving one shortly in your Christmas card. I think I look hot. You'll have to let me know what you think ;) I am designing new wall decor around this picture. I'll have to post when I get it done and perfect.

Jeremy and I are going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 1 on Saturday. I am so excited! 1-because I get to go on a date with Jeremy! We haven't done that in a while and 2-I love Harry Potter!

Halloween . . .

2010-11-12T22:23:00.001-08:00

I know that this post is pretty late, but we were having technical difficulties. Better late than never, right? Anyway, the kids wents as superheros for Halloween. Aren't they cute? Aidan's school always has a huge carnival a couple of days before Halloween, and we always enjoy going. This year was no different-each of the kids even won a cupcake in the Cupcake Walk!

Then, on the big day we went to Grandma and Grandpa Arenaz' house for dinner and then Trick or Treating. The weather was so nice-perfect (and slightly unseasonal for late October) for wandering around the neighborhood asking for candy.

Batman Aidan-he had been planning his costume since Halloween 2009 and he has been back and forth with many different things. He finally decided on Batman and we designed everyone's costumes around that theme. Aidan was so so so excited for Halloween-it was pretty much all he could talk about since September. And he had energy! He left all of us in the dust while Trick or Treating-and he could have easily kept going!

SuperWyatt-I am just happy that he actually wore his costume! Wyatt was decidedly less enthused about the holiday than Aidan. But, he did like all the candy!

Wonder Girl Lydia-I have been wanting to make her a skirt like this forever, and I finally had an excuse. Miss Liddy didn't quite get the concept of trick or treating-everytime someone put a piece of candy in her bag, she cried until we got it out and gave it to her. She spend most of the night sticky-but happy.

We went Trick or Treating with our very good friends, the Freeds. It was so much fun to share this holiday with them. Brynn is the ladybug, Dallis is the fairy, Todd is holding Graham the dog, Aidan is Batman, then Jeremy is holding WonderGirl Lydia, SuperWyatt and lastly Hadley is a cat. Aren't they all so cute?!

And we couldn't leave out the witches of the party-Ann-Michelle and me. We coordinate so well!

Halloween was fun-but I am glad it is over. I can't wait for the "real" holidays!

Library Card

2010-10-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

Aidan came with me to run errands the other day and one of our stops was to the library. While we were there, I asked Aidan if he wanted to apply for his very own library card. He was hesitant at first, thinking this was something that he was not going to be allowed to do, but then he got excited when I told him that all he needed to know was how to sign his name-and he knew how to do that. After waiting in line forever (I kept telling him that it was good practice for when he got older) he signed his name on the back of his brand new library card and checked out his very own books and movies with it. On the way out, he kept looking at it and then asked me, "So, does this mean I can drive your car now?" Nice try bucko-but no. All that card allows you to do is check out books, not operate heavy machinery. Ah, how quickly they grow.

Halloween Craft

2010-10-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

Cute, huh?

Creepy Little Friend

2010-10-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ace found this creepy little dude outside under the swingset. He comes running in a panic, "Mom! Dad! There is a praying mantis outside! Come look!" I didn't even think he knew what a praying mantis was, but lo and behold-there it was. Jeremy picked it up to put in our flower beds (that are totally dead, but whatever) and the boys wanted a picture with it. I can't believe that I let this thing in my home!

Lyrical Lydia #3

2010-10-25T15:58:00.001-07:00

We were at Home Depot, Jeremy was showing us the huge Christmas reset he had done that week. We pointed to a giant inflatable Santa Claus and asked Lydia, "Who is that?" Lydia replied, "GRANDPA!"

NO CABLE!?!?

2010-10-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

So, we got rid of our cable TV. For lots of reasons. To save money, wanting to spend more time together, get Aidan to watch less TV. So, we cancelled service more than a month ago, but no one ever came by to disconnect it, and after several phone calls, we just decided to live with the fact that we had free cable. What a tragedy, right? Well, Monday, the guy came and disconnected it. Right in the middle of Oso. Which is Wyatt's favorite show ever. The fit that ensued was epic. Only to be rivaled by the fit Aidan threw when he came home from school and discovered that he couldn't watch iCarly, and Phineas and Ferb, and his other myriad of shows. Crying hysterically for an hour and a half was a little bit dramatic, you think? Then, even Jeremy threw a tiny fit when he discovered that we can't even get digital TV with our crappy box and he couldn't watch "Castle." But I forgave him, especially when I realized that we couldn't get Fox so I could watch "Glee" on Tuesdays. Now, I am just hoping that we are able to find the best signal by Thursday so I can watch "Grey's Anatomy."

See how the TV has ruled our life? We have all had our fits this week (well, except for Lydia, who thinks the TV is her own personal music box and she dances to every jingle that comes on) about various shows that we "just can't live without!" What an addiction that we have! We pay much more attention to this square piece of plastic and wires than to each other. So, this is a good thing! Think of all the time we can be with each other now! Think of all the things we can do! Not having to stay home on Thursday because "that is the best TV night." This is a blessing in disguise! This is liberation!

We just might have a short adjustment period to make. . .

Bowapalooza 2010

2010-09-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

My friend, Ann-Michelle, and I spent a solid 10 hours over the course of 2 days making hair bows for our girls (she has 3-so she made even more than I did!). Here are the fruits of our labors. Now, however, I just want to make more! Lydia's hair is always well dressed. I just can't choose a favorite. Which one is yours?

To the Zoo

2010-09-16T19:47:00.000-07:00

We went to the zoo last Saturday. It was a deal for Aidan-he wanted to go to the fair, but we didn't, so we compromised with the zoo and a picnic. It was an absolutely beautiful day-not too hot, not cold, no breeze. The animals were aparrently enjoying the weather too-they were out in full force and showing off for all of us. We all had such a terrific time. These pictures are in no particular order. . .(ps, you should be grateful that my camera died half way through-I would have gone totally picture crazy if not!)

The boys showing us their "monkey moves." The monkeys (both the animals and the kids) were having so much fun-I think they were Wyatt's favorite. We probably were in the monkey house for about 30 minutes just watching them swing around and "talk" to us. Lydia got excited when they came close, and kept trying to give them kisses through the glass.

I love this picture! We watched the huge tortoises. Even they were active, crawling around their little pen. Camels. In the Asian Adventures part of the zoo, there were tiger prints pressed into the cement. The kids liked to follow them and point them out. Riding a tiger. Wow, the things you can do at a zoo.

This was Lydia's favorite part. She loved the goats! We could barely get her out of the goat pen! Liddy kept hugging them and petting them-and the goats really liked her too! They would lick her cheeks and she would giggle. All the kids got a quarter to buy feed for the goats and they all had fun feeding them. Aidan and the pelicans. He says that he liked the wallabees and the alligator the best, but I don't have pictures of either. Ace was also disappointed that the otters weren't out, but was placated with watching the penguins feed.

We spent a good 3 hours at the zoo. Lydia fell asleep in the car, but the rest of us got hot dogs at a stand and took them to the park to eat. Man, those were some of the best hot dogs I have ever had! We had such a good time and made so many wonderful memories. I am so glad that we have such a fun zoo here in town.

Words of Wyatt

2010-09-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Wyatt says "Thank You" at all the appropriate times, but he says it in the cutest way. "E New!"

My Labor Days

2010-09-06T20:33:00.000-07:00

So, I really don't know exactly why we celebrate Labor Day. I am sorry. But I don't. And we didn't do a thing noteworthy today either. But every time I think of "labor day" I think back to my labors, and since I have seen several other blog posts about this, I am going to copy them and record some of my memories of my "labors."

Aidan-August 9-I was induced at 9 AM and had Ace at 3:50 PM. Nothing really noteworthy about this one. It went really quite easily (for giving birth). My mother in law brought me hair clips and Jeremy a candy bar (that most likely I ate) and she told me jokes while I was in labor.I remember that "Friends" was on right when I delivered. And that I was really hot and sweaty afterward, and they brought me a fan to cool off. Also, the hospital had amazing crossoint sandwiches and we watched "Top Gun" together that night as a family. All the doctors thought that he was one of the most beautiful babies that they had seen.

Wyatt-March 8-We were house hunting when I went into labor with Wyatt. Just running around town, going to all the open houses when I started noticing that my contractions were getting really close together and really painful. I remember being scared every time a contraction stopped, because I felt fine and I was scared I wouldn't have another one and it was just false labor. But no, I went into the hospital at 1 PM and had WyGuy at 5 PM. And the whole time I was scared that they were going to send me home saying it was false labor. Mom was also in delivery with me and that was pretty special. I was shocked to see Wyatt's hair. It was long and full, but dark blonde! I had never seen that color of hair on a newborn before. After, I was so shaky (from the epidural) that I was scared to hold him because I thought I might drop him. They also brought me lots of food after his delivery. It was quite tasty. I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I felt really good, except my arms and legs were sore from pushing. I thought that was weird. We had lots of visitors that night too.

Lydia-February 21-We did not have a name before I had Lydia. We had some narrowed down, but we were waiting until she was born to officially name her. I woke up with contractions at 4:30 AM and started timing them, but they were really super random, but they HURT! So, I woke up Jeremy, took the boys to Mom and Dad's and got to the hospital at 6 AM. They kept telling me that I probably couldn't have an epidural because I was too far along, and I kept telling myself that, "It doesn't really hurt, it doesn't really hurt" and everyone laughed at me. I had Lydia at 6:29 AM, and the second the doctor placed her on my chest, Jeremy and I looked at each other and said, "Her name is Lydia." I felt so good after having Liddy. Everyone who visited me that day was amazed that I was up and showered and dressed. With Lydia, it was the first night that Jeremy didn't stay overnight with me in the hospital, so Liddy and I slept together in the rocking armchair that was in my room (way more comfortable than the bed!) The nurses thought she was so beautiful and kept making hair bows for her. We left the hospital with 12!

That is my long winded story of my labors. I am so lucky to have such easy ones. And now I am glad that I have these written down somewhere so I don't forget. These were the details that I wanted to remember and pass on.

Back to School

2010-08-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Aidan's first day of First Grade. He was so excited! Not a single nerve in this boy! Ace could hardly wait to get out of the door! He wanted to dress "to make the girls fall down." The first thing that he said when he got home was, "Mom, the food was GREAT!" I wonder how he will feel about school lunch in a couple of weeks. But he really liked his teacher, Mrs. Eckman, and they had a practice lock down too, which really made an impression on him-he thought it was so cool, except he had to go to the bathroom and they wouldn't let him leave the room. It was amazing, he just talked and talked about how his day went. I didn't have to ask for any information! Wyatt missed him a lot. He kept saying, "Where's Aidan?" I would say, "School." And then Wyatt would say, "Oh, school," like it was a dirty word. Aidan was excited to go back today too. Aidan also made a new friend, Carter. I hope he cultivates some new friendships-I am so excited to see him branch out.

I can't believe that I have a 1st grader! But I am so excited to see him growing and learning. I love the person that he is becoming. Good luck in 1st grade Ace!

School Supplies

2010-08-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

I just love school supplies. There is something about them that scream "here's your chance to start over!" to me. I love a fresh box of crayons, crisp paper, new folders, sharp sissors. The start of a new school year has always allowed me to reassess-make changes, improve something, start something new. I have my list of things I want to do-what are some of yours?

Into the Woods

2010-08-29T20:27:00.000-07:00

We decided that as an ending to our summer, we would go camping for a few days. We have a camper (see below-stylish, isn't it? But it does keep us warm and dry) and we haven't gone since Aidan was really little. So we packed up (it took a week of cleaning and packing to get ready) and took off for the woods.

At the campsite, getting things set up. I told Aidan and Wyatt to go find sticks to help make a fire while we were busy getting everything together. I should have taken a picture of the pile. That was a very popular activity. Their wood pile would have started a forest fire! After things were all in their places, we cooked dinner (in the fire-Aidan thought that was really cool), roasted marshmellows and tucked everyone in to bed.We woke the next morning to sunny skies, orange rolls and hot cocoa. And silly grins. It was a good night. I was amazed how well everyone slept cramped up together in a camper out in the woods.(The shoes that Lydia is wearing in this picture were my shoes from so many years ago. Aunt Kellee-do you recongize them?
After breakfast, we went exploring. This is the dock in Island Park that we were going to float to the next day. Here is the old railroad bridge that marked the start of the river float. We later came back to this place to wade a little in the water. The water was COLD, but it didn't stop the kids. We also took a hike around our campsite (it was a beautiful campsite-it really was. We are going back next year for sure! Aidan, Lydia and Mom Lydia-she decided that she had gone far enough and sat in the grass protesting. It was cute, so I snapped a picture.

Wyatt-getting his shoes all muddy. We couldn't keep him or Lydia clean for anything!

Aidan-he wanted to jump into this creek. He kept spotting little fishes. It was a very pretty place. I tested out my budding photography skills with some really nice scene shots. Maybe sometime I'll share.

We also brought along Barky-he was such a good dog! He played hard. We thought he would keep us safe from bears. I guess he did, since we didn't encounter a single bear. We did have a buck wander really close to camp. I saw him and he scampered off as soon and we saw him. We went and found his hoof prints later too. He came really close into camp.

Later that afternoon, Grandma and Grandpa Barnes and the Rawlings family came up to keep us company for the next couple of days. Josh and Ellie came up the next day too. It was so fun to have cousins to play with! Aidan got to sleep in a tent with Dillan and Ian and he thought it was awesome to be included with the big boys.

We went floating on the river on Saturday with everyone. I do not have pictures of this because I wanted to keep my camera working and not soak the thing, but it was a lot of fun. Wyatt loved being out on the water! I eventually got the hang of paddling our little boat. We also spotted 2 moose-one right in the water and the other next to it. The boys also saw a bird swoop down over the water and catch a fish in its beak. It was really, very cool.Aidan, Wyatt, Izzy and Ashley playing with some playdoh.
Pancake breakfast! Yum!

By Sunday, we were kinda ready for ammenities like flushing toilets and hot tap water, so we decided to drive the 20 miles to West Yellowstone for a few hours (Plus, it was raining, and we wanted to stay dry). The kids loved meandering through the stores and finding treasures. We didn't buy anything, but we did have a lot of fun looking. Next time, we are going to plan to go to the museum and to the IMAX theater. We might even take them to Old Faithful sometime. Wyatt liked all the toy guns that were around. He really like this pop gun.I liked the Davy Crockett hats. Doesn't Liddy look cute?!Aidan just liked everything. "Can I get this?" was his favorite sentence of the day. Smile! It's a tin buffalo! Aidan also really liked all the stuffed bears and other animals that were in all the shops. He posed for alots of pictures in front of them. When we got home from West Yellowstone, we decided to pack up and call it a weekend. We had such a fun time. It was great spending time with family, and eating yummy food (new potatoes and peas. . .). It was nice to have some fun down time as a family before having to start the new year. Camping was a great success. The kids loved it, we loved it. I am so excited for future summers that we can do this more. I am excited to start a family tradition.

What Rachel is Reading

2010-08-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Everyone is Beautiful by Katherine Center
Lanie is a wife and mother of 3 (gee, that sound familar) that packs up her home and heads to Boston so her husband can pursue his dreams of becoming a professional musician. But, Lanie realizes that she too has dreams, or did, at some point. She sets changes in motion, joining a gym, signing up for a photography class-all to help her feel like her "old self" again.
I 100% got this book. I identified so much with Lanie, it could have been me in that book. Occasionally (okay, more than occasionally), I do feel drained with the day to day care of my children and husband, and wish I could be just me. This book helped me to see that I have changed-and change is good, but I can still be me, and Mama, and Jeremy's wife. In fact, it is important that I find me in the midst of everything. And most importantly-I am beautiful-in every walk of life I am currently in. And now, I quote from that book that I love and am going to hang up on my mirror-
"Laughter is beautiful. Kindness is beautiful. Cellulite is beautiful. Softness and plumpness and roundness are beautiful. It is more important to be interesting, to be vivid, and to be adventurous, than to sit pretty for pictures. A woman's soft tummy is a miracle of nature. Beauty comes from tenderness. Beauty comes from variety, from specificity, from the fact that no person in the world looks exactly like anyone else. Beauty comes from the tragedy that each person's life is destined to be lost to time. I believe woman are too hard on themselves. I believe that when you love someone, she becomes beautiful to you. I believe the eyes see everything through the heart-and nothing in the world feels as good as resting them on someone you love. I have trained my eyes to look for beauty, and I've gotten very good at finding it."
This is a book that needs to be on my bookshelf. (Caution: there is some language in it.)

Aidan's Favorites-age 6

2010-08-17T19:20:00.000-07:00

So, I sat down with the new 6 year old to interview him about his favorite things over the last year. (I hope to find or take a much better picture in the near future.) Favorite color? blue
Favorite foods? watermelon, french fries, roast (grilled) cheese sandwiches
Favorite movie? Everybody's Hero
Favorite TV show? Spongebob Squarepants
Favorite actvity? play with my Legos
Favorite video game? Lego Harry Potter
Best Friend? Gabe
Favorite Subject in school? playing at recess and doing homework

Favorite Primary song? A Child's Prayer

Favorite candy? lollipops

What did you like about being 5? going to school

Favorite restaraunt? McDonalds

What do you want to learn this next year? karate

I also like to go camping. I also like to read the Magic Treehouse books with my mom.

Aidan is 3 ft, 7 in. tall and weighs 38 pounds as of August 17, 2010.

Wyatt's Kidney Update

2010-08-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

I just thought that I would update on Wyatt's kidney's and share some pictures of our trip. We had a real fast jump down to Salt Lake City so Wyatt could have a follow up renal scan of his kidneys. Wyatt still has hydronephrosis in both kidneys. His urologist said because he was born this way, the kidneys will just never shrink down to normal size, and that is fine, as long as they are operating okay. Wyatt's right kidney is working just fine, but his left is only operating at about 15%. Again, this is okay. Something that we need to keep track of, but his doctor said that kids are born with 1 kidney and they never have an issue. So, all in all-he's fine, but we are still going to monitor occasionally. Next test he needs is an ultrasound next summer, so we have a while. Now, some pictures. . .

This one breaks my heart. They had to strap him down for the scan. Wyatt had to stay still for 45 minutes, with an IV in one arm and a catheter. Poor little man. This is my least favorite test for him to do. He had a rough time. About the only saving grace was they let him watch Cars during the test and he fell asleep because he cried himself out. But, he got a 5 pack of Matchbox cars as a prize afterward. That was way cool.

After the renal scan, we went upstairs to talk to his urologist, Dr. Cartwright. (We really like him. He is a nice guy and very helpful.) Jeremy and Wyatt in his waiting room. They covered his IV sight with wrap that had cars on it. Even though it was just fine, he insisted that he keep it on to show Aidan later that night when we got home (Aidan and Lydia were at Grandma and Grandpa's so we could keep all our attention on Wyatt.)

Eating at the Rainbow Cafe at Primary Children's Medical Center. Yum! We were so happy that he was finally eating!

Jeremy and I decided that we would take him to Build a Bear to make his own stuffed animal as his own prize. He chose this cute little dog that he named Ruff Ruff. He thought it was so cool. Wyatt pushed Ruff Ruff around in his stroller all over the mall.
The fountain at the Gateway Mall. We stopped to play to get our wiggles out before we headed home. We were only gone 24 hours, but we were tired. I am so glad that Wyatt is doing well. Hopefully he grows out of it and we don't need to worry anymore.

Happy Birthday Aidan!

2010-08-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

Aidan turned 6 on August 9. I cannot believe that I have a 6 year old! Where the heck did time go? And what a sweet, wonderful 6 year old I have. I really lucked out with my Ace. Here is how we celebrated his big day.

It was difficult for Aidan to decide what he wanted for a birthday party. He has so many things that he loves, he couldn't narrow it down. So, I helped him out and we decided to do a fun Phineas and Ferb party. We could play some fun, wet and messy games. And I made him a Perry the Platypus cake. I think it turned out pretty awesome. First time using fondant and everything. Aidan insisted on inviting all of his friends, and we sent out 16 invitations. Everyone but 1 made it. It was a huge blast! About 1 hour before his party, the clouds and the rains came. Everything was going to be outside and Jeremy and I were scrambling to make alternative plans. But Aidan just told us that he prayed that it wouldn't rain, and what do you know? It stopped just in time for the party and stayed nice for it.

Here are some of them eating cake and ice on the trampoline. Aidan has the greatest friends!We had some really fun games. We played with the parachute, had egg races, ate donuts off of strings and played with water balloons. Here, they are searching through a swimming pool full of jello for pennies. This was a big hit. Aidan, with a mouth full of donut. Water balloon catch. We didn't get too wet, but it was a lot of fun!After the party, we made Aidan's request for dinner (waffles, eggs and bacon with chocolate milk) and then had Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Julia and Uncle Neil over for presents and cake. Aidan was so excited-he wanted to eat Perry's tail. Aidan got so many presents. He loves to play with Legos and he got a whole lot of them. He also got lots of school supplies, a new backpack and some new clothes for school. And Lego Harry Potter for Wii. Another fun thing he got to do for his birthday was he went with his Grandpa swimming and to the zoo. They had so much fun doing that together! He also got a gift card from his other Grandma and Grandpa and picked out a light saber.
He wanted a red one so he could be a Sith. Now, he wants to be Darth Vader for Halloween!

Aidan had a fantastic birthday-we are so blessed to have this sweet boy in our home. I have so enjoyed seeing him grow into this boy! I love you Aidan!

What Rachel is Reading

2010-07-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

The Walk by Richard Paul Evans

In the space of 6 weeks, Alan Christoffersen literally loses everything. He wants to end his life, but instead, he decides to walk. To Key West, Florida. The furthest place in the continential USA from where he stands. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share, will save his life.

I love Richard Paul Evans books. They are easy reads, and usually very inspiring. This one was no different. Al's situation had me in tears at several points and I really felt for him. I have never felt the kind of loss and tragedy and betrayal that he had, but I felt like I was right next to him on his journey. The tinest little part of me even wanted to tie on some hiking boots and head for Florida myself. Best of all, The Walk isn't finished. The rest of the trip will be continued in April 2011! (I love sequels!)

Sleeping on the Trampoline

2010-07-25T16:32:00.001-07:00

Jeremy has been promising Aidan to sleep outside on the trampoline all summer. So a few weeks ago, they hauled all the blankets outside to campout. No, Lydia wasn't sleeping with them. Neither was I. Us girls had our own little indoor sleep out in our nice, soft, comfy, warm beds.All hunkered down. However, about midnight, the winds and the rains came and 3 wet, cranky, cold boys came running in. Aidan was really disapointed, but the next weekend, they tried it again, and this time, the weather cooperated. And I had pictures of that, but I can't find them anywhere. Jeremy is such a good daddy!

The Mischief Makers

2010-07-22T13:16:00.001-07:00

They found the food coloring. Three baths later, they were closer to their original color. However, the jammies were not to be saved. I am just thankful that they took it outside to experiment with. These 2 are not to be trifled with. I swear, they play off each other!

Scoop Jam 2010!

2010-07-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

So, last year we went to this Ice Cream Festival, and we had so much fun that we had to go again this year. Luckily, free tickets made that even better! All you can eat ice cream! Heaven! This year it was bigger and better. Good music, lots of vendors and lots of ICE CREAM!! This was the first thing we saw when we came into the festival. A giant, inflatable Santa Claus. Aidan had to get a picture with it. Wyatt wasn't quite feeling it this year. In his defense, it was naptime and it was pretty hot. Still, he enjoyed the ice cream!

Aidan loved it! He had so much fun. I don't even know how much ice cream he ate. It was a lot.

Lydia also had a really good time. Ice cream is one of her favorite foods. And since we just found out that she doesn't have a milk allergy, we let her go for it! She seems to like chocolate the best. Just like her Mommy.

Liddy was also digging the bouncy houses. She likes adventure and trying new things.

They had a mock shoot out and show. It was really fun. Aidan had never seen anything like it before and he was glued to it like a TV. This was my best picture. The poor actors looked so hot with all their costumes. I felt bad for them. And we had to get a picture with a huge rubber duck! It was another fun day. I am so glad that they do this every year. It is so much fun.

What Rachel is Reading

2010-07-11T20:32:00.001-07:00

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows (aunt and niece team)

I was told by several people that I need to read this book. Finally, I picked it up at the library and I am sure glad that I did.

This book is entirely composed of letters and notes, either the sender or reciever being Juliet Ashton. Juliet is an author looking for her next book and she finds it on the island of Guernsey. Set in Post World War 2, we discover what the fine people of Guernsey did to survive the invasion of German soldiers. Juliet falls in love with the people, and decides to visit, and they welcome her with open arms and hearts.

I love Guernsey. I fell in love with every single charater. They were all so well developed and well written! At first, when I discovered that the whole story was letters, I was reluctant. I thought that it would get really boring to read letter after letter, but it wasn't! It was fun! It was so neat to see the relationship that were already established (between Juliet and her best friends Sidney and Sophie) and the relationships that were being built (between Juliet and the people of Guernsey). Letters are so personal, and it was fun to see the banter between everybody. This book was so funny! Not only was it a great historical fiction (I have read little about post World War 2 in Europe, because the topic is depressing, but I learned quite a bit) but it also had a great little love story in it, along with a bit of intrigue.
This book will be going on my bookshelf. One I have to own and will reread over and over.

Bed Head

2010-07-11T19:07:00.000-07:00

My kids have the best hair when they wake up!

Lyrical Lydia #2

2010-07-09T20:12:00.001-07:00

She actually said a word! My screensaver on my computer is bubbles, and when it turned on yesterday, she ran to it and yelled, "BUBBLES!" I was so happy, I clapped my hands and hugged her. Aidan got excited and did the same. And not to be outdone, Wyatt followed after. Now, every time she says "bubbles," she expects a ticker tape parade.

Little does she know that when she finally says, "Mama," I am throwing her a party ;) !!!!

Fireworks!

2010-07-06T11:20:00.001-07:00

Of course, as part of any Independence Day celebration, you must include fireworks. And there are no better fireworks around than the Meleulca Freedom Celebration on the greenbelt. This year, we went with Andrea and Darin (and kids) and Josh and Ellie (and kids). Josh found us a great spot right on the river to enjoy them. Of course, that meant that the kids wanted to be right next to the river the whole time! Wyatt, Ashley, Aidan, Jeremy, Izzy, Josh and George are all in this picture. Next to us, were a couple with 2 cute dogs. Lydia kept walking to them and playing. The dogs would also lick off the frosting on her face. The whole group of us. 6 adults, 9 kids, 3 strollers, several camp chairs and lots of blankets. Around 9:30 it started getting cold and we need to bundle the kids up a bit. Here, Jeremy is fighting Lydia trying to get her socks on. (By the way, I totally made her bow. I am pretty proud of it!)

My sweet little family waiting for the display. This was literally seconds before it started. The kids did well. They weren't scared or anything. Aidan was pretty awed-he thought they were pretty cool. He said his favorite was the finale. Wyatt got bored, but that is okay. Lydia was memserized-and kept oooing and ahhing.

We also did fireworks at home the next day with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt JuJu and Uncle Neil. It was way colder (there is just something wrong about having to wear jackets, long pants and blankets on July 4!) but we still had popcicles and ice cream sandwiches. It was a fantastic weekend full of family and fun. And fireworks. And food (2 BBQ's with wonderful spreads-yum!).

Green Canyon

2010-07-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

To continue with our fun Independence weekend, we went swimming at Green Canyon. We love going up to Green Canyon! The pool is warm and has a nice shallow area for the kids to walk in. Plus, it has a hot pool too. We had so much fun! Really, it was a blast. I was surprised how well all the kids did. They were just like little fishes!

Aidan was having so much fun enjoying his "freedom." For the first time, he was really adventurous and even dived off the diving board a few times! We had a couple of boogie boards and he just kicked around on those all by himself. He was sure proud. As were we.

Wyatt was a bit more tentative, mostly just wanting to stay on the stairs and throw things in. But, he loved the hot and cold pools and kept running outside to dip his feet in and laugh. I was surprised how much of a fish Miss Lydia was! She loved being in the water, as long as someone was holding her. She didn't want to be in a float, she just wanted to be held and splash. She was so happy and looked so cute in her little swimsuit! Say Cheese! My silly, floating family.

Green Canyon is also a camping place, and it is beautiful there (I think that we are going to try to camp there sometime this summer). We packed sandwiches and chips and had ourselves a little picnic. Because after 2 hours of swimming, we were hungry!
On our way back, Aidan was asleep before we reached the main road. Since Wyatt and Lydia slept on the way up, they were happy and kept jabbering. I am glad that they understand each other, because we sure can't understand their secret language! We got home late, and we were tired, but we had so much fun together.

Liberty Field

2010-07-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

In our city, we have an organization called the Title of Liberty. Every year, around the 4th of July, they host a Flag Walk to the field where they set up hundreds of flags to honor those who fight for our country. The field is open to the public to walk through the fields and some of the flags have biograghies of people who have died in the Iraq/Afganistan War from Idaho. To start our Independence Day weekend, on Thursday we took the kids to the field to see all the flags.

Jeremy and the kids running through the field to the big center flag. Lydia got tired and had to be carried half way down.

They had a lift where you could go up and see the whole field. Jeremy took the boys while I stayed on solid ground with Lydia. The guy in the cowboy hat is one of the organizers of the whole event.

There are a lot of flags. I forgot to ask how many there were. But there are over a hundred.
And I just loved this picture of Lydia.

Of course, no family outing is complete without a treat, so we stopped at Reed's Dairy for ice cream. Yum! It was a fun outing for everyone. I truly am so thankful for those soilders who have fought and lost their lives for our country. I appreciate this time of year to reflect on the many freedoms I enjoy as a citizen of the United States of America.

Ouch!

2010-07-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

See Wyatt's finger? No, I did not paint it black. He slammed it in the sliding glass door! I think that he is probably going to lose his nail. But, he is sure proud of it! Wyatt shows everybody his "OW."

Father's Day

2010-06-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home,

Glad as I can be!

Clap my hands and shout for joy,

And climb upon his knee!

Put my arms around his neck,

Hug him tight like this!

Pat his cheeks and give him what?

A great big kiss!

This truly is the scene at our house when Daddy comes home. Jeremy is a fantastic father and the kids love him more than anything. Lydia's only real word (that she says with any frequency) is DaDa. The kids 1st words are always DaDa. Play stops and everyone runs to the door to be the first to get a kiss from Dad. I am so thankful and so grateful for the opportunity to share parenthood with this wonderful man. Jeremy is patient and loving and gives each child individual attention. He is a wonderful father (and husband, but that really is for another day). We started the day with breakfast in bed. Aidan really wanted to do this for him (he wanted it to be his super special day, as well it should be) and I had to keep Jeremy in bed so we could bring him his breakfast! Aidan helped me make bacon and egg sandwiches, caramel rolls and OJ, and we served it to Jeremy on a cookie sheet, along with his presents. He got some clothes, a Wii game and wheel, a mini air compressor and and iPod case. We also shared some great meals with family (including both of our own dads). And now, I am letting him watch whatever he wants on TV, without me complaining ;)He loves to read to the kids, and does so almost everyday. This picture isn't staged, this is a very frequent occurance in our home. He also plays with the kids until they run him ragged, and then keeps going. Jeremy also works so very hard to provide for us, something we are so grateful for. Sometimes he will work a 70 hour week and then still come home and play, or help put to bed. We know that we are him 1st priorties, because he not only tells us, but he shows us that we are in eveything that he does. Jeremy honors his priesthood and we are blessed to have worthy priesthood holder to help lead and guide us in our home. Thank you sweetheart-from my whole heart. I couldn't have made a better man to create a family with.

Speaking of dads, I want to take a moment to express my love and thanks for the other fathers in my life (I am so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing men!)

To my Dad: I love you so much! Thank you for all the help and support that you have given me over the years. I am a better person because I know of your love for me. You guided me through the years and helped me to develop my testimony of the gospel. I will always be thankful that you joined the Church so many years ago and raised us to believe as well. Now, my kids have the opprotunity to have you as a Grandpa-and they love you so much as well. Happy Father's Day.

To my Pa: I love you so much! You have always been one of my very favorite people, and I still remember how I cried when we moved to Idaho because I wouldn't see you everyday. I love your stories. I love hearing your testimony. The example you have set for me (regarding the temple, especially) has touched me and will stay with me for life. I am so glad I am your very oldest grandchild.

To my Dad-in-Law: I love you! Thank you for teaching my husband how to be a father and a husband. He is such a wonderful one and I know that you and Jill have everything to do with that. Thank you for sharing him with me. Thank you for being Grandpa to my kids. They are truly blessed to be surrounded by such love.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!

Guess what came in the mail today?!?!

2010-06-16T15:32:00.001-07:00

YAY! All ready for Eclipse now! 14 days left! (Please forgive the awful picture of me, I was too excited to look nice.)

Krazy Kids #1

2010-06-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

I walk into the living room, and see a sea of chocolate animal crackers covering the carpet, with 3 kids sitting in the middle.

Me: What the . . .?

Aidan: (pointing at Wyatt) Wyatt did it! It is Wyatt's fault!

Wyatt: (pointing at Lydia) No, Leedia!

Lydia: (grins, and eats a cracker)

They all got to help clean up.

Aidanism #2

2010-06-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

Aidan is giving our family prayer. . .

"Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for this day, Mom, please shut your eyes. . . (and he continues his prayer while Jeremy and I are desperately trying to hold our laughter)."

Lyrical Lydia #1

2010-06-06T22:28:00.000-07:00

Lydia doesn't talk yet. She says a lot (and loudly) but she doesn't make sense. Everything is DaDa. But, the other day, we were singing the Batman theme song (Da Da Da Da Da Da Da Da BATMAN!) and laughing. Lydia thought we were funny too, and after we sang the Da Da's part, she contributed by screaming out "BATMAN!" as clear as a bell. So, yup, my daughter first word is Batman.

Playing in the Backyard

2010-06-06T22:26:00.000-07:00

Just a bunch of pictures of pretty much the only nice day we have had since last September. (I am pretty sure these were taken in April!) We love our backyard! It is so fun! Rain, Rain GO AWAY! We want to enjoy our yard more!

Summer Plans

2010-06-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting this summer to be a lot of fun. I don't want to hear Aidan say, "Mom, I'm bored!" a hundred million times. So, I have made some plans. Lots of plans. And I want to share them. Feel free to steal any and all you would like to and make them yours. I got all of these ideas from one of my favorite craft blogs A Girl and a Glue Gun. And I freely stole them.

Aidan's To Do List

Jeremy and I decided that Aidan is big enough to start taking some responsibility around the house, aka CHORES! So, I made this cute chore chart with a magnetic whiteboard and magnets. Everything is interchageable and he can move the big magnets from "To Do" to "Done." I also have added things like, Store, Homework, Piano Lessons, Church, etc., so he knows what we are going to do today. He also has a weekly thing that he is going to work on learning, tying shoes, making different foods, telling time, money values, things like that. He got to choose the paper and the buttons, and so far, he has really liked it. I hope this system lasts for awhile. I actually like this so much, that I think that I am going to make me one!

I Know What We're Going to Do Today! envelope (Title courtesy of Phineas and Ferb)I want the kids to do stuff this summer, not just sit at home and watch TV or play Wii. I also knew that if I didn't plan ahead, I would allow us to do just that. So, I created this envelope and about 75 cards (the glue gun girl cards are much cuter than mine, but I didn't want to spend days on this project) and each night before I go to bed, I will select 1 and place it in the envelope, and the next morning, after Aidan has done certain chores, he can open the envelope, and we will do what it says inside! The cards are labeled crafts and science projects, outings, activities, and Theme Days. I am sure that I will be writing future posts about things that we do. There are all sorts of different things to do. Aidan helped me choose some and some will be suprises. He is really excited to do more (right now, we have just had an outing and an easy craft). Look for more in the future!

Summer Scrapbook

This was Aidan's 1st craft. We are going to keep a scrapbook of our summer adventures. I will help him write and he can draw pictures and keep track of things. I am not sure how this one will work out, but I hope we can keep it up. I think it could be a really neat thing for the family to look back on.

The "Mom, I'm bored!" Jar
I am excited for this one! When Aidan decides he is bored (usually while the babies are napping) he can pick a slip out of the jar. The papers are labeled with fun things to do (read a book with Mom, jump on the tramp, etc.) and not-so-fun things to do (clean up toys, pick weeds, etc.). It is the luck of the draw and he has to do what he picked out. I will help/do with him everything. I want it to be time together. For example, he decided he was bored today and picked out a paper. It was "Pick up downstairs toys." Well, that is a several hour chore for Jeremy and I, but I put a timer for 10 mins and went down and helped him. He didn't like it, but with me hanging out with him, it was much better.

Well, I know like that sounds like a lot, but we have done all of those things today, and there are still many hours left of the day. I really hope that this is a fun, happy, eventful summer for the Barnes Family!

5/28 random. . .

2010-05-28T10:29:00.001-07:00

Liddy is trying out a new hairdo-I love little girls! And I love that she has enough hair to have some fun with! I just keep staring at this picture-I love it so much! Her expression, her eyes. I might need to print this one off.

Aidan's last day of school was today. He told Ann Michelle (my friend-we do carpool together) that he was "happy/sad". A child's version of bittersweet. I fear he has a boring summer ahead of him. I vow now to do my best that that doesn't happen.

I have a 2 year old for sale! He likes to dump food out on the floor, flood bathrooms, and throw tantrums. But, he also gives wonderful hugs, amazing kisses, loves to cuddle, is a wonderful brother and says "Mama" adorably. On second thought, maybe I'll keep him.

It's the first day of summer vacation, and it is windy and rainy. So we made this to feel better. Cake can cure many ills. Especially if there is a smiley face on it.

Isn't it cute? The boys helped, by eating the leftover frosting.

It is also National Hamburger Day-and we are going to celebrate in style! (Reeeed Robin!)Hamburgers are my favorite food-I am glad they have a day dedicated to them.

Thus ends my random ramblings of May 28.

Boredom Buster #1!

2010-05-27T05:40:00.000-07:00

Kids get bored, right? Well, I am always wanting to solve this dilemma, and so I thought that I would find fun things to do, try them out on my kids, and then report back here. Let me know what you think.
Today's Boredom Buster: Dried Bean Pans with Kitchen Utensils

All I did was put a couple bags of dried beans into 9x13 pans and gave the boys cups, ladles, tongs, scoops and spoons to pick up the beans. They honestly played with this for a full hour (Wyatt even longer) before wanting to move on. Bonus points for helping Aidan with fine motor skills (he used the pinch tongs to pick up a bean and place it in the cup). It wasn't such a good game for Lydia, who wanted to eat the beans, but the boys loved it. In fact, they have asked to play this again a couple more times.

Verdict: Winner! Cheap, easy and fun.

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-05-25T11:01:00.001-07:00

Aidan graduated from Kindergarten today! YAY! They had an adorable ceremony and really hyped up the kids and parents. They asked that the kids come to school in their best clothes, to bring our cameras and they even served refreshments. (I just love his school-it really is a fantastic school. We partially chose our house based on this elementary.) Here are lots of pictures from today's ceremony. Ace giving me his best tough guy in line before going into the gym.
With his some of his school friends-Ciara, Hazel, Masen, Aidan, and Graysn. Yes, he is a head shorter than most of his classmates. He has so many friends and lots of them have been to our house. His best friend changes daily, but usually it is Graysn (in the yellow sweater vest). He is a good kid and they have lots in common. I have also volunteered in his classroom all year and I know all of his classmates. They are a wonderful class and I am proud to see them all graduate today. They have worked so hard to be ready for 1st grade.
Walking into the gym. They had Pomp and Circumstance playing and everything. They really went out of their way to make it special (the hat colors are the school colors-blue and gold).
The entire A.M. kindergarten. The principal said they had 73 kids graduate in the morning and another 50 will in the afternoon. The whole kindergarten sang a song and then each class sang their own song.

Aidan's class singing "Reggie Rooster." It is an AlphaFriend song. They did so well with the actions and everything! Ace is the 2nd one from the left in the blue vest.

Mr. Gauchay (the principal) presenting Aidan with his diploma. I have to admit, I got just a bit teary eyed thinking about 12 years in the future.
Aidan with his teacher, Mrs. Rigby. She is a wonderful teacher! I am so glad that he was able to have her this year. I couldn't have picked out a better kindergarten teacher for him. I also really enjoyed helping her in her classroom too.

Thumbs up! All graduated! He still has 3 more days of school, but they are all fun days. I really think he will miss going to school everyday. He is such a social little guy (sorry, big guy), he will miss the interaction. Wow-I just realized that he will be in the class of 2022! I can't believe I have a 1st grader!

What Rachel is Reading

2010-05-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

So, I am going to start a new "feature" where I review one of the many (many) books I have waiting for me on my bedside table. Please tell me what you think!Today's Pick: The Red Pyramid (Book 1 of the Kane Chronicles) by Rick Riordan

Simple review-Loved it! Rick Riordan also wrote the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which I also really enjoyed. The Kane Chronicles are his newest series, but instead of Ancient Greece, his newest hero and heroine are taking on the gods and goddessess of Ancient Egypt.

Expanded review-Carter and Sadie Kane are brother and sister who don't know each other at all. Following the death of their mother 6 years ago, Carter went traveling all over the world with his father, famed Egyptologist (side note-I totally wanted to be an Egyptologist when I was little. Still do a little bit.) Dr. Julius Kane, and was homeschooled by him. Sadie lived with their grandparents in London, England, only getting to see her dad and brother twice a year. Each sibiling longs for what the other has and have nothing in common. On Christmas Eve, the date of their scheduled visit, things go very bad in the British Museum. Trying to make "everything right," their Dad summons a figure, blows up the Rosetta Stone, and gets banished into a golden sarcophogus. Now, all alone, Carter and Sadie try to put together the pieces of this puzzle and discover that the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt are real and one (Set) has an evil plan (don't they all?) to destroy Ma'at (order and peace) and usher in Apophis (chaos god). They also find out that their mom and dad were magicians of the House of Life and that they (Carter and Sadie) have powers they didn't know that they had-and that they are instrumental to stopping Set and Apophis. They meet all matter of help and hinderance along the way, which makes for a pretty quick moving story.
Carter and Sadie's point of views are both given, using the device that Rick Riordan is actually just writing down an audio taping of their story. I think it is cute, because sometimes there are little interjections by the other sibiling which shows both their personality and their growing relationship. This is definately a book for kids (I would put it at pre-Harry Potter even, 7-9 yrs old), just like the Percy Jackson series was, but I really enjoyed reading it. I am so excited for these books that make reading fun and exciting for little kids! What a great thing it is! I can't wait for Aidan to get just a little bit older so I can start reading outloud these books to him. I wanted to research the Eqyptian gods after reading this too. (Rick's version of Anubis is my favorite-think Edward Cullen.) If you have a couple days, and want a book that is pretty much mindless fun, pick it up!

Dam Fun!

2010-05-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

(Title courtesy of Jeremy) After our very rough couple of weeks (see last post) we decided to have a day of fun and go on an adventure! Our destination was Palisades Dam. We packed up a lunch, a first aid kit (we really didn't want to jinx ourselves) and the kids and we were off.
We went down to the boat dock and threw rocks in the water. Oh, the boys enjoyed that! Jeremy tried to teach them how to skip rocks, but they really just wanted to see who could make the biggest splash. Lydia really wanted to go in the water and kept walking down the dock to have the waves lap up on her toes. She giggled when the waves got her. Jeremy wanted to hitch a ride on a boat, while I was just really enjoying the sunshine.
Aidan took off his shoes and socks to put them all the way in the water and he said that the water was COLD!
Wyatt liked to watch all the boats that were coming in and out of the water. He also liked collecting the driftwood and setting it afloat.

After playing on the dock and beach for a while, we got hungry and scouted out a perfect place for a picnic. We found a place with a table and a place to lay down a blanket for Lydia. Out came the sandwiches, chips and drinks and we ate. And then played some more. We brought a ball and some bubbles and it was just a fun place to relax and enjoy one another. Wyatt was fasinated by the bugs and after examining them throughly, he stomped on them. Aidan wanted to explore through all the trees and bushes. Lydia just liked to have a place to chill with her bottle. After lunch, we went back down to the beach and walked up a ways, just exploring and skipping rocks.

We ended the afternoon with a Square Ice Cream cone. Can you drive past Swan Valley and not get one?

We had such a fun time. Aidan kept saying that it was "the best day ever!" and we were happy to spend some fun time together. Now, we are all tired and pink-cheeked and we will all sleep well tonight, ready for another (hopefully boring) week.

When it Rains, It Pours!

2010-05-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

We have had a rough 10 days or so. You don't really have to read this, but I just had to write it down so I could believe it!

It all started last Tuesday, when the kids and I were at McDonald's playing. Some older kids (8 or 9ish) started picking on Wyatt! Anyway, in the midst off all of that, he got a nice cut above his eye. (I wish I had a picture-it was a beauty.) It should have had stitches, but I thought it would be okay. I should have taken him in for stitches-it got infected. It is all good now, and chicks dig scars, right? He has also come to me with all sorts of random bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes.

We also need to schedule some kidney tests for him in the very near future.

The next day, I took Lydia in for her 14 month shots. She had a CRAZY reaction to the MMR, and less than 3 hours after receiving the immunization, her face was covered in red spots and then she developed hives all over the rest of her body (I wish I had pictures of this too-it was crazy! She didn't even look like Lydia!). She was miserable and itchy, but Benedryl took care of it in a few days. Just as her body was getting rid of the reaction, she caught strep throat and was even more miserable! One night, we ended up taking her in to the ER. She had a fever of 108 and she couldn't breathe. (She has been in the ER twice in her life, yet my very active little boys have never been-go figure.) Miss Liddy got some antibiotics (she is allergic to several kinds, so we have to be careful which ones we give her) and lots of Motrin/Tylenol. She finally started to feel better. During all of this, she has also cut 4 teeth. Poor sweet little girl! She has been seriously doped up on drugs. Now she is really clingy, because we have been holding her for almost 2 weeks straight! Hopefully she grows out of that soon. My arms are getting tired.

And now Aidan. He had a double ear infection. It turns out that he has some issues with his ear anatomy that is affecting his hearing and we need to see an ENT for some surgery in the near future.

On top of all that, our dryer stopped working, I cut the bottom of my foot and Jeremy has worked about 65 hours a week! I am tired. I sure hope that things slow down for us. I find absolutely nothing wrong with being nice and bored.

Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th of May everyone! We decided to celebrate this Mexican holiday by exposing our kids to a little new food culture-Mexican treats! I found Pena Fiel in a local grocery store (actually, this brand is Jarritos, but Mexican soda pop will always be Pena Fiel to me). I also found my favorite Mexican treat, Sponch. It is a cookie, with marshmellow and coconut topping. These are some of my favorite memories from a family reunion trip to Mexico a long time ago. It is only fitting that I introduce my kids (and husband) to the treats.

The boy's first taste of Sponch. Aidan's critique was "I didn't love it," while Wyatt ate about half.

Lydia carried hers around for a while, but I eventually found a soggy, half eaten cookie in the living room. The pop went over much better! They both loved it and drank it right down. Aidan said, "I love this stuff! The bubbles are going to my head!" They also liked to clink the bottles together (which resulted in some spilled Pena Fiel). We finished off the day with Taco Soup (it was cold and I didn't want to make enchiladas!) and Mario Cart. It is fun to add just a little tiny bit something different to an otherwise everyday, boring week. I think we all enjoyed tasting something new.

Taco Soup Recipe (courtesy sis in law Angela)

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 can corn (add another 1/2-1 can in for soupier soup)

1 can diced tomatoes (add another 1/2-1 can in for soupier soup)

1 lb ground beef, browned

1 envelope taco seasoning

Throw everything into a crockpot and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve over Fritos and with shredded chedder cheese and sour cream. YUM!

Good Night, Sleep Tight

2010-05-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

Is there nothing better than sleeping children?

Reasons I Love Being a Mom

2010-04-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

-Dandelion bouquets
-Open mouth, sticky, wet kisses
-Little warm fingers holding mine
-Aidan saying, "You look beautiful Mom!" when I haven't showered all day
-Reading storybooks
-Pictures left for "MOMMY" on my bedside table
-Running my fingers through soft baby hair
-Arms that reach out for you, and only you
-Lavender baby lotion and hooded towels
-Mispronounced words, that only you understand
-Spontaneous dance parties
-Watching a face light up when they understand something
-Little hands clapping
-Baby shoes
-Little dresses and hair bows
-Cuddling on the couch
-Fingerprints on the sliding glass door
-Pushing kids on swings over and over
-Laughing and giggles

P.S. I just thought of another one! I love that my kisses seem to have magical healing properties!

Culinary Genius

2010-04-25T16:31:00.001-07:00

Wyatt likes to eat. He eats a lot. Several times a day, I hear the words, "Cereal, mama?" or have the peanut butter and jelly jars (tucked under two little arms) brought to me. When I don't get to it quite as fast as he wants, he has been experimenting in creating his own, pulling over a chair to stand on so he can reach the counter. Yep, he poured his cereal onto a plate. At least he didn't try to add milk. My little culinary genius.

A Walk on the Wild Side

2010-04-25T16:14:00.001-07:00

I might have my hands full in the future. We seem to be raising some crazy kids! Aidan went to a birthday party yesterday and got this cool snake tattoo. He insisted he put it one RIGHT NOW. He thinks he is so cool-he says that he is the coolest kid on the block with a tattoo. Where do they learn this stuff?Here is my princess sporting a rockin' mohawk. It is everything I can do to keep ponytails in her hair. She usually leaves them in until naptime, when she tears them out (hair included) and she spends the rest of the day looking like this. Lydia seems to prefer the punk look.Sigh.

The Strawberry Jam Adventure

2010-04-11T19:35:00.001-07:00

I asked Aidan if he wanted to go on an adventure today after Church. Always up for a challenge, he said yes. So, I gave him his mission-turn these strawberries into jam. He accepted and made Wyatt his second in command. We got right to work.Their first order of business was to taste the strawberries to see if they were tasty enough for jam. After deeming the fruit, "way good," we discovered we had a little sister problem. After discussing the issues, we decided that she would help taste test.So, we put her in her high chair and fed her strawberries and waffles. It kept her happy. These are the 16 lbs of strawberries. Aidan and Wyatt had a big job ahead of them. Since Aidan can't use sharp knives yet, he put me to work cutting the tops off and chopping them up. Aidan took this picture of me slicing up the strawberries.

Wyatt eating "apples". His duties mainly consisted of eating every other strawberry that I cut up. He insisted on calling the strawberries apples-even when we told him over and over again that they were strawberries. In fact, he would "correct" us, "No, mama, apples." He ate a lot of "apples."
Aidan's first big job was to crush up the strawberries. This handy dandy little tool was heaven sent in our strawberry jam making adventure. Even Aidan could turn the handle and it really helped him to feel apart of the process (since this was his adventure and all).

Wyatt wanted to help too. He got tired of eating his "apples." He turned a few cranks. This really was a family project. (Jeremy got out the big container of sugar for us. That was his contribution. Oh, and he helped clean the kitchen after we were done too.) Here Aidan is adding the strawberry puree to the sugar and pectin. He really liked to say the word "pectin." Again, Wyatt helped.

And here is the fruit of our labors. 8 lbs of strawberries turned into 11 1/2 jars of freezer jam. I would have done the other 8 lbs, but I overestimated how many strawberries I needed, and I ran out of both pectin and jars. I guess I am going to the store tomorrow (perhaps that is tomorrow's "adventure"). I was so proud of Aidan. He really stuck through this project, asking questions at every turn, wanting to know why we did that and how that worked. This was a lot of fun to do. I might have to make "adventures" something we do more often. Aidan and Wyatt really seemed to enjoy it and I had fun watching them learn.

Words of Wyatt #2

2010-04-07T20:16:00.000-07:00

When we play Super Mario Brothers, Wyatt likes to copy Luigi's saying, "Imma Back!"

Words of Wyatt #1

2010-04-07T20:14:00.000-07:00

One of Wyatt's favorite song is "We Will Rock You" by Queen. He goes around the house singing in his little 2 year old voice, "We will, we will, ROCK YOU!" Only "rock you" sounds more like a dinosaur roar.

Aidanism #1

2010-04-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

While playing Wii bowling and Aidan just got 4 strikes in row. . .

Mom: Holy Macaroni, Aidan! Good job!

Aidan: Mom, don't say that!

Mom: (confused) What, good job?

Aidan: No, Holy Macaroni.

Mom: Why not? Holy Macaroni isn't a bad word.

Aidan: But it makes me hungry!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Just like every holiday, ours was fun and busy! The Easter bunny visited us Sunday morning, bring all the kids Easter baskets. (I just love putting together the baskets, it is my very favorite part of the holiday!) This year, the Easter bunny also brought us a plastic picnic table with an umbrella. The kids were very excited to have this and have begged me to keep it in the front room for a while. We'll see how many times it takes me to stub my toe or trip over it before I throw it on the porch.
After baskets and some Conference, we loaded up to have lunch and an egg hunt with the Barnes cousins. There were TONS of eggs and everyone got plenty loaded up. I really was wishing Lydia was walking. She would have had muchh more fun if she were. And it was so fun to see the Roberts and the Patterson's. We really miss you guys! Aidan, with "big" cousins, Dillon, Kaleb, and Xander. They helped him load his basket. Wyatt took awhile to get into the swing of things, but eventually he got it. Once he discovered that there was actual candy in the eggs, he was much more eagar to go hunting. Pretty Liddy. She liked to shake the eggs. Her cousin Sam helped her outThe kids and their take. We have lots of candy now!

After dinner and the egg hunt at the Barnes', it was time to head over to the other Grandparent's house for dinner (and even more candy baskets!)Grandpa Arenaz, Dad and Aidan Wyatt and Lydia. They got M&M's in their baskets and were really excited by it.
This morning, before Conference started, Jeremy and I sat down with Aidan with the Gospel Art Kit and explained the real Easter story. We felt that was important because he was completely focused on the Easter bunny and candy and egg hunts. I was shocked at how much he actually knew of the Easter story and resurrection. Plus, it was good for us to have a moment to reflect on the Savior as well.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend. Let's all pray for spring now! I am sure getting antsy for warm weather!

A Room Fit for a Princess

2010-04-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

WARNING: PICTURE HEAVY AND DRIPPING WITH CUTENESS! PROCEED WITH CAUTION!

So, I have been wanting to redo my daughter's room, well, ever since she was born. I didn't like the crib bedding we had, etc. I always had an excuse. But I didn't know exactly what I wanted, so Jeremy put the kibosh on that plan until I KNEW what I wanted (he has these crazy ideas on not spending money on things we didn't really need/want-silly boy ;) ). So, I was just trying to be content with what I had until I saw THESE prints on an everyday trip to Target. I finally KNEW what I wanted to do in her room. A princess room for our little Princess! Perfect! And the prints were on sale (double yay!) so I added them to my cart with all sorts of fun ideas swirling around in my head.

The room was already painted this beautiful shade of light pink, so we were set there. These prints went over the changing table (which Jeremy made for me when pregant with Aidan) and the white dresser we already had. Also, the crib is white too. On the other side of the room is her crib, and above the crib we (by we, I mean Jeremy hung them and I told him where to put them) hung 5 small white shelves that we bought at Home Depot (YAY!) On the shelves, are a few porcelin dolls from my childhood, a collection of tiaras (which I intend to add to) some princess books (which I also intend to add to), empty picture frames (which I intend to put pictures in at some point) and some adorable letter blocks spelling out LYDIA that I got from my favorite children's boutique in town. I also covered the Princess word with stick on jewels for a bit of fun. I show you the crib only to point out the beautiful tulle bedskirt. Isn't it sweet and perfect for a princess? And the blanket hanging is a gift for Lydia from my grandma. The window wall. The gauzy curtains were from my sister's wedding. Every princess room MUST have floor length gauze curtains, don't you think? Her bow hanger (yes, I realize that is an obscene number of bows. I don't really care.) I really got into this craft project. I used my Cricut to cut out pink vinyl letters and affixed them to this board hanging with pink and white ribbons for her clips to attach to. I also found this wooden crown, painted it white and hot glued "jewels" to it and used it for a "topper." I made 2 wooden crowns and used the other for. . . This (because I love symetry). I found this matching print (actually, it is a growth chart) on the Target website and I had to have it (it was on sale too-see, this room was totally meant to be!). I embellished it with a ribbon and crown hanger and if you look very closely, you can see that there are "jewels" hanging from the ribbons.Okay, this *might* be my favorite part of the room. After I (well, Jeremy) hung the curtains, I felt that the space above the window was too plain. I had the idea to cut out white vinyl crowns with my Cricut and embellish them with more "jewels". It turned out perfect. It was exactly what that space needed.

And that is Miss Lydia's princess room. Probably my favorite room in the house now (well, I really love my kitchen too.) Thanks for letting me share. So, what do you think? I am particuarly proud of how it turned out. It is even better in person (since I am no photographer) so if you are in the neighborhood, stop by! One last picture-every princess must have a pony, right? Except this pony spends a lot more time in the living room being rode on by the princes who also inhabit this castle.

Aidan's Report Card

2010-03-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

Aidan's 3rd quarter of kindergarten is over (wow-I can't believe it. I am going to have a 1st grader soon!) and I met with his teacher, Mrs. Rigby to see how he is doing. Well, he is doing GREAT! She just kept saying how good and helpful of a little boy he is and that she wishes all her kids were like him. He is also doing very well academically. He is reading with the top group in the class (which is impressive, seeing how he is the youngest in the class). He also has high IRI (Idaho Reading Indictor-standardized testing) scores. He needs a little bit more work in writing and cutting, but we are working on that and Mrs. Rigby isn't too concerned about that. She says that it will come. One of Aidan's favorite subjects is math (don't ask me how he got that-because both Jeremy and I hate the subject) and he is really good. He has a natural affinity for numbers it seems. Next time you see him, ask him to count to 100 for you. Aidan is also such a good friend to so many kids in his class. I help out in this room once a week and I see how nice and helpful he is. He loves to play with his friends. It is fun because he has branched out, and has playdates with boys other than those in the ward. He is quite popular. I am a little tired keeping up with his playdates! I love Aidan so much and I am so proud of him. He really is a good, sweet, intelligent boy. I couldn't have asked for better children!

Has Spring Finally Sprung?!?!

2010-03-24T19:38:00.001-07:00

I looked out my window and what did I see? My crocuses popping up! What a nice sign that spring might actually be coming. I know my kids are sure thrilled. I can hardly keep Wyatt inside the house now that the trampoline has gone up. I am always happy to say goodbye to winter and hello to summer. Goodbye heavy coats, long sleeved shirts, soups, blankets, socks, snow, and high heating bills! Hello cute capris, t-shirts, picnics, flip flops, playing outside, colorful flowers, fresh cut grass and open windows! What are your favorite things about this time of year?

Leprachaun Gifts

2010-03-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

In our house, we have a leprachaun that comes to visit us every year. He leaves new green shirts for the kids (shown above), a bowl of gold and jewels for the kids to eat for breakfast (Captain Crunch Berries) and this year they got some stickers and the movie The Princess and the Frog (you know, because frogs are green and Mom really wanted that movie). It is always fun-and the kids do look cute!

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Wyatt's Day

2010-03-10T11:24:00.000-08:00

Monday, March 8 was Wyatt's 2nd birthday. Since we spent the whole day in the car, we thought we would make it up to him by doing something fun the next day. So, we took the family to Blast Off. Aidan insisted that they all wear their M&M shirts, plus, they have socks to match. We got lots of comments on the shirts there.

The ball pit-surprisingly, Lydia really liked playing in it!

Our Birthday Boy! He was really adventurous and went over, inside, under, through and everywhere he could. This is him in one of the tunnels.

Big brother and little brother playing peek a boo. I got to introduce the kids to my favorite arcade game, SkeeBall. I actually kick butt at this game. The kids, not so much. They'll learn. But they were really excited that I bought them candy with the tickets I won. We also have a picture of Wyatt climbing up the game and Aidan pulling him back by his feet. Lydia was so excited by the lights. (Our little yellow M&M-she kept her bow in all day long!) For about 10 minutes, they played, 1...2...3...jump! into the ball pit. Here we caught them mid count. (Notice the adorable M&M shirts?!)

After our allotted 2 hours at Blast Off, we celebrated with Happy Meals (of course) and ice cream sandwiches from Cold Stone. Then came home for presents. Wyatt got a t-ball set, some tractors, a play camera, some books and a movie.Wyatt is such a fun little boy. His personality is huge! He loves his family fiercely-he loves to give kisses and hugs and he gives them freely. Wyatt looks up to his older brother and copies everything he does, and we watches out for his younger sister. He is curious and is always getting into things, just to see what they are. Wyatt is really getting good at talking. One of his favorite things to say when things aren't going his way is "Oh man!" He love balls and books and baths. I also have never seen a child so in love with animals-of all kinds. I love that little blond haired, blue eyed little boy. Our family would not be complete with out him. Happy Birthday WyGuy!

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-03-10T10:39:00.001-08:00

So, last Tuesday, we got an email from my Aunt Kellee saying that on Saturday, my cousin Logan was going to be baptized. I read it, said "great!" and deleted the email, thinking, "I would sure like to go, but they live in Las Vegas. That sure is a long trip." Then Jeremy got home, and I told him about the baptism, and he goes, "Let's go!" And thus began our plans. Lydia has never been anywhere in her short life, and Wyatt has really only been to Salt Lake for surgery. This is something that we never have done before and we were excited! (BTW-the above pic is the only one we took in Las Vegas. We kept forgetting that we had a camera.)

This McDonald's in Lehi was our first stop. It was the most awesome playground ever! All the music instruments really played music! For example, the piano slide actually played an octave slide as the child slid down it. There was also a really cool guitar that you could strum too. Plus, there was a huge tower to climb too. We stayed for far too long at this McDonald's!

Then we drove to Cedar City and got a hotel to sleep in. I caught these sweet pictures at a gas stop somewhere. We got to the Horito's house in Las Vegas at around 11 A.M. Saturday morning. Aidan and Wyatt loved playing with all the cousins! And Lydia just enjoyed the attention being a princess brings. The baptism was lovely and then they had a big dinner and birthday cake afterward. So fun. On Sunday, we visited with my cousin Megan, who just had an adorable little baby boy. I have seen Megan in years so it was so fun to get caught up and see her and meet her sweet baby. After the visit, we headed down to the Strip. We caught the Bellagio fountains and went to the M&M Store. That place is so much fun! There is M&M merchindise everywhere and you can see how M&M's are made and also see a funny 3D movie. The kids really liked this place. Plus, we bought them shirts and they thought it was so cool to be dressed like M&M's. Aidan posing in front of Elvis M&M.

We wanted to go to the Fremont Experience because I have never been, but we had had a full and fun day and everyone was tired. We spent the rest of the evening hanging out with the Horito's and relaxing. The 5 of us had to prepare for the long trip home the next day. We are so thankful for them for hosting us-we had so much fun playing with them!

We left Monday morning for Idaho Falls. Honestly, the kids did really well, for being stuck in the car for 12 hours. Aidan needed to stop about a hundred times, but, that was okay. One of the funniest things were when we got to Idaho Falls and were driving through the city to our house, Wyatt kept saying, "Home! Home!" I had no idea he was so attached. Anyway, it was all in all a really fun little trip. We might need to be a bit more spontanteous (although, not so ambitious!)

Barnes' Big Birthday Bash 2010!

2010-03-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

So, we have 3 birthdays within 2 weeks at our house. Miss Lydia starts off the festivities on February 21, Jeremy's birthday is February 26, and Wyatt finishes off the fun on March 8. So, in celebration of Liddy's 1st, Jeremy's 30th, and Wyatt's 2nd, we had a combined family party last Friday. I love this picture of all the birthday kids. Since I dedicated the last post to Lydia, and Wyatt's day is coming up, this one will mostly be about my wonderful husband big 3-0!

Isn't he handsome? I love this man so much! He is such a hard worker and provider for us, the least I could do was arrange a party for him. Jeremy is a wonderful father. I always tell him that I couldn't have created a better husband myself. We also went out on a date the next night-we recommend the movie "Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Lightning Thief." It was great!

I just couldn't resist this picture-this is the embodiment of my Wyatt. He is such a sweet goofball. And so very handsome, too.

Wyatt's birthday cupcake-he did so well blowing out the candles. As you can see in the picture, he is kind of mesmerized by the flame. Lydia also had her own cupcake with 1 candle on it, but we have no pictures of that. The cupcakes were funfetti cupcakes with funfetti frosting. I have to thank Aidan and Kayleen for helping me out with those. They did a great job!

The "old man's" cake. Look at all those candles! He mangaged to blow them all out with one breath. I guess he gets his wish-I wonder what it was?

So, happy birthday everyone! I am so grateful to be your mommy and your wife. I love you!

Lydia's 1 Year Old!

2010-02-22T20:26:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? I can't! Miss Lydia turned 1 yesterday! (Even though Aidan says that she can't really be one because she isn't walking yet.) Here she is in her cute birthday shirt. And he bows-I am so happy she has enough hair to pull into 2 tiny poytails! It is so fun to accesorize!

Her birthday cake. We have a tradition that the first birthday cake is Surprise Cake. All it is are different colors of white cake mixed together, so when you cut into it, you get splashes of colors. Lydia had pink, purple and green in her cake. We took the little star on top off the cake, and that was hers.

Surrounded by presents! We just had grandparents (and Aunt Julia and Uncle Neil) over, but she got lots of cute clothes, a couple of dolls (even her 1st Barbie, which she enjoys sucking on her feet) and a book. She didn't realize that they were all for her. I guess that she is used to "sharing" with her big brothers.

Eating her cake. She dug into it! Almost ate the whole thing! I was quite impressed.

Lydia is the sweetest baby ever! She is always smiling and happy. She is just a little pixie of a thing. At her well child check, she tops the scales at 18 lbs even and she is only 27 3/4 in. tall. She also still wears her newborn size shoes! That is just fine by me-I don't want my princess to grow up too fast. And she is a princess-with all of us to dote on her, she gets whatever she wants. I feel bad for when she starts to like boys-with her 2 older brothers, they will never even get to the door! They are so protective and loving to her. And she loves them right back. Rarely are they not playing with each other. I am so thankful for such wonderful kids. I really lucked out!

P.S. For anyone who actually reads this, I realize that I have been major fail on blogging. I am back and want to keep this record of my family-so look for more in the near future!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

2009-08-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

Uncle Josh and Aunt Ellie invited us to go to a Chuckers game with them recently. Our home team didn't win, but we sure had fun cheering for them!

Ice Cream Festival

2009-08-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

Jeremy got tickets to the city's Ice Cream Festival and we decided to go check it out. We are so glad we did because it was so much fun! We all got wristbands and those "magical" wristbands allowed us unlimited ice cream! They had all different ice cream places there. Aidan loved the huckleberry flavor, Wyatt wanted anything chocolate, I was quite partial to the nutty coconut and Jeremy liked the carmel praline. But I think the family favorite was mint chocolate chip. We really got our fill of ice cream that afternoon!

Liddy got to have some tastes too-she kept licking her lips for more.
They also had a bunch of those bouncy toys and a band playing. Wyatt loved to dance to the music and all the boys loved the toys.

Even Lydia got into the spirit and had a little tiny flower painted on her cheek. Isn't it cute?
It was such a fun family afternoon, and we were all pooped by the time we got home. We got to also enjoy family nap time! This will be something that we do every year.

Independence Day

2009-08-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

We love the Fourth of July at our house! There is so much fun, family, food and fireworks going on, who doesn't love it? We started our personal Freedom Celebration on the Thursday night before. We took the kids to a fireworks stand and let the boys pick out some fireworks. Aidan went crazy with all the selection, and Wyatt only wanted the "bird." After that was done, we took them all for a sno cone. When we got home, we invited our neighbors to come over and watch us light them off. It was the perfect start to our weekend.
Aidan, Ella, and Jackson doing the sparklers.

Wyatt and Brodan watching the "pretty lights."

Jeremy's sister and brother in law invites everyone over to their house every year for a huge fireworks extravaganza. Seriously, it puts the Melaluca Freedom Celebration to shame. It is so much fun! They set out a spread, we all bring blankets and camp chairs and we just chat, eat and watch, while the kids do sparklers and play with each other. I don't have any pictures of the actual fireworks, I get too caught up in the display, but here are some pictures of the cousins playing together with the sparklers.

Wyatt and Conner

Aidan, Dillan and MaKenna

Aidan and Ashley

Ashley, MaKenna and Kayleen

Then, on the Fourth, we started out the day watching Independence Day. We love that movie and watch it every year. Nothing like celebrating your freedom by watch Will Smith kick alien booty! Then we had another swimming party with Grandma and Grandpa (se post below) and a wonderful weenie roast with them. Then we took the kids to Freeman Park for the "big" fireworks show (as Aidan calls them). We always have so much fun sitting there and listening to the music and seeing the fireworks. They always make me cry. I am so thankful that I live in America and have the opportunity to raise my children the way I feel best, and worship what I believe in. Happy Birthday America!

Swimming

2009-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

My parents have set up a pool and slip n' slide in their backyard. On Saturday's, when it is warm, we head over there with our swimming suits and towels and hang out in the water. Grandpa, Jeremy, and Aidan really love to get each other wet, Grandma, Lydia and I like to catch some rays, and Wyatt likes to play ladder ball. Here are some pictures of a recent day over there.

Aidan loves these days-he is a pro at the slip n' slide.

Wyatt likes to watch mostly. But, when we finally get him in the pool, he realizes it is like a big bathtub and starts to splash.

Even Liddy has her own suit!

The pool! We love these afternoons! We especially like to "shower" each other.Drying off in the sunshine.
These swimmimg days are really becoming one of those favorite summer memories. Thanks for sharing them with us Grandma and Grandpa!

T-Ball

2009-08-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Aidan was on a T-ball team this summer. Also on his team was his cousin Ashley and his neighbor Ella. He said he likes T-ball better than soccer because there is less running. He did really well! He got some really good hits off the T and is good at catching and throwing to base. Wyatt, always wanting to play with the big kids, also tried his hand at the game. Perhaps we have a pair of major leaugers on our hands?

His team-GO TEAM YELLOW!!!!
Run, Aidan, Run!!!
SAFE!
Hey mom! Watch this!
Aidan tries to impart his T-ball wisdom on his brother.

T-ball was fun! It is so neat to see Aidan experience all these new things and find out what he likes to do.

Such a busy summer!

2009-08-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

And now I need to catch up! I hope to do this over the next couple of days, each with a seprate post. We have lots of fun things to show you guys!

Daddy, We Love You!

2009-06-22T12:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day! You are a wonderful daddy and we love you so much. Thank you for all that you do for us. We don't know what we would do without you. Love, Rachel, Aidan, Wyatt and Lydia

New Pictures!

2009-06-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jeremy's cousin took pictures of the kids (she did is as a baby present for Lydia-isn't that an awesome present?!). Anyway, they are up and here is the link to see them all:
http://picasaweb.google.com/downeyem/Lydia?feat=embedwebsite#
Thank you so much Emily! I love them!

Liddy Lou

2009-06-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

I was looking though my blog and I realized that I have no current pictures of Lydia on here, so I thought that I would give everyone an update on the newest member of our family. Miss Lydia Anne is doing fantastic! She is now 3 months old and I do not know where the time went!! She is no longer a bump on the log, but she is grinning and rolling over and starting to show her adorable little personality. She has the biggest blue eyes, and her hair is growing in dark brown. Her new trick this week is holding up her head and looking around. I always say that she has only 3 moods-perfectly content and happy, sleeping or ANGRY! There is no middle ground with her. Luckily for us, she is usually happy, and even when she isn't, she is easily made happy. She is so easy to make smile and she has the most adorable grin. But, I can never ever get her to smile for the camera (she just stares at it like, Mom, what are you doing?), so *if* I ever accomplish that feat, I will post that-you really don't see her personality until she grins at you.

Her brothers love her-sometimes a bit too much. Wyatt always needs to be right next to her-like in her chair or sitting on top of her head. But he does it with no malice-only love. Aidan is already her protector-saving her from Wyatt's loves, the dog's loves, and people in the store who come to coo at her. She is so lucky to have to not 1, but 2 wonderful big brothers. I love to dress her up-she is just my little girly girl. I have even started painting her little tiny toenails! It is so fun having a girl!

I love this next picture because I see her from this angle all the time. This is just after I got done feeding her, with that "milk drunk" look on her face. I also love that she has her fingers in her mouth, imitating the sign language for "I Love You."
Even though Liddy looks angry in this picture, she actually loves being in her swing. As long as it is not too sunny or windy, she likes to be outside-she loves to look at new things. But, if the weather is not exactly to her liking, the princess comes out in her and she gets angry.
We are all so enjoying her-she was definately suppose to be in our family. We love her so much! And speaking of Miss Lydia, she is awake and crying for her bottle. I better go!

Graduation Day!

2009-05-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

Aidan graduated from preschool last Friday. It was such a fun day! They had their last lesson on the letter Z at the zoo, did a fun alphabet search to show all of us how well they all know their letters and ended the year with a picnic and graduation ceremony at the park. Here are a bunch of pictures to show off that great day.

Here is his whole class posing at the tiger exhibit. Ella, Lindy, Lindsey, Aidan, Hazel, Kenya, and Mason. Actually, Gabe is missing in this picture.

Gabe is in this picture, in the striped shirt. Missing Hazel.

Aidan and his best-next-door-neighbor friend, Ella.

My little graduate! He will actually be in the class of 2022. Can you believe that?

Preschool has been such a fun experience for both Aidan and me. We got to hang out with a great group of friends and learn all the things he needed to be ready for Kindergarten and experience many new and fun adventures. Aidan says that the thing he liked the very best about this year was his friends. I truly enjoyed teaching these kids and getting to know their mothers. I hope all these new friendships don't fade with the school year ending and they last into the summer and beyond.

Dinner at our house

2009-05-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

So, we try and we try to teach our children manners, how to use a fork and a napkin, and not to eat out of the pan, and it falls on deaf ears. Either that, or we have a 1 year old at the table.

And this charming picture of Aidan's blue tongue is his way of saying "Thank you! This meal is great!"
If any of you want an meal and a show, come on over! It's always exciting at dinner time!

A milestone in every boy's life. . .

2009-05-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

Aidan's first shiner. Isn't it a beauty? He aquired this lovely black eye by falling off the top bunk-while sleeping. Apparently, he didn't sleep close enough to the wall, and rolled off the top bunk, onto the bottom full bed (where Wyatt was sleeping-his first night in the big bed, now we will never get him back to sleeping there!), and onto the floor. We *think* he hit the laundry basket, which is where he got the nice cut. What is even worse is that we didn't notice the scratch and black eye last night-I saw it this morning when everyone woke up and Aidan asked, "Mommy, what is wrong with my face? It hurts!"

Needless to say, Jeremy is putting up the guardrail as we speak.

Barky's Tribute

2009-05-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

Barky is a pain most of the time. He may be cute, but lets face it, he steals food, chews my kids toys and now his new hobby is digging out my flower beds. For some reason, we love him and keep him around. And the reason became clear last night. After a rough bedtime (a whole other post) we were all slumbering peacefully. Barky sleeps at my feet and normally I don't even feel him. But about 3:30 A.M., my usually quiet (and full of crazy dreams) night sleep was distrupted by an unfamilar growl and angry barking. Now, Barky is named such for a reason, but his barking is usually more excited and hyper. This was mean. He jumped off the bed and ran into the kitchen. When he got there, he started clawing at the sliding door frantically trying to get outside. I slid open the door, and freaked out, waking up Jeremy to go see who was out there. Well, no one was, but Barky was upset. He didn't calm down until he surveyed the backyard and was assured that nothing was there. I like to think that he scared away a would-be intruder, protecting the family that he loves so much. More likely, it was some really scared squriell or cat on a late night prowl. After he was sure we were all safe, he curled right back up on my feet. And I realized, this dog is a pain, but I love him. Last night, Barky earned his kibble.