Easter and the gang

Easter was super fun because we got to spend it in the new house. Luckily the Easter bunny knew where to find us somehow. We were also lucky that the cousins from up north had spring break and could come down and hang out with us. Also we were lucky to not have soccer games that weekend so we could spend the time playing with them. We went hiking on a new hiking trail and had an easter egg hung/bbq in the backyard. It was really fun!

The dump!

Garbage man Creed loves this book my sister gave him called Fly Guy. Its about a kid named Buzz and his pet fly, Fly Guy. They play hide and go seek and Fly Guy ends up at the dump. Buzz searches frantically for him amidst all the flies at the dump and they go home buddies....And of course Creed was super curious about the dump since he's all ready completely ennamoured by the garbage and recycle trucks. 

So after packing we had some stuff to take to the dump and we made a family adventure of it...At first site Creed thought it was super impressive. Then we opened the door of the truck to get out and he smelled it....He called it stinky and that was as close as he wanted to look. It was super funny and maybe it is the first step to breaking his trash obsession...Too bad pictures don't have smells....

Curly ponies....

Recently our cousin Katie visited for the weekend. Katie has totally amazing naturally curly blonde hair. She teaches third grade and is wonderful. After her visit Jocelyn refused to go to school or have her hair done unless it was "a curly pony like Katies...." You never know the impact you will have to those around you. I feel super lucky that my kids have cousins they can look up to even if it is for something as funny as a curly pony.

Rock Stars

Both Taryn and Jocelyn flashed their rock star sides recently. Jocelyn was the spotlight kiddo at kindergarten during the week. She shared the things she loves and a poster about herself. I have to say this kid is a very loved mischieveous funny girl. Her favorite movie is inside out. Her favorite animal is a lady buy, rolly polly bug, or a cougar. Her favorite color has recently changed from pink to "mint." Her favorite toy is her horse/stable/grooming kit. She loves pizza and swimming and her favorite game is sleeping queens. She is a great big sister and a great little sister and she fills our lives with surprises....most of them happy!

Taryn was awarded the radiant roadrunner award. This is given to a kid who has worked really hard to improve or who has achieved great things. Taryn does work very hard at school and has really enjoyed being on the lighthouse team (student leadership) because she likes to give tours of the school to visitors. She just got a new glasses perscription (like more than double the old) so she can see the front of the room again and that has helped her a ton. Anyway, she is a good sister, a good friend, and a good student. We love this girl!

spring break baby

So the kids were pretty good sports about spring break this year....especially since they spent most of the time packing...We did make time everyday for a little fun and games but really it was a lot of work. Because of Creed's bike incident we had to keep two feet on the ground at all times and he was on a liquid diet for half of the week and a soft diet for the other half. We ate a lot of ice cream and smoothies...I do think Creed enjoyed the dumpster diving for boxes since it is lame to buy boxes that will be used for 10 minutes to move 5 houses away. In fact he has asked if we can go again several times...It was warm and beautiful and tempting all week...tempting to forget being responsibile and enjoy every second outside.....Anyway here's what we did....

Monday: packings swig and movie night
Tuesday: movie day dumpster diving for boxes smoothies friends play/craft "packing"
Wednesday: Cami spent time with friends, Creed got to visit the dentist, and we packed more....
Thursday: Menchies and packing and more packing and some playing with friends
Friday: packing picnic at the park more packing
Saturday: a Family Bike ride without the bike trailor (historic first in 12 + years), a stop and Mc Donalds for ice cream and more packing....

knock on wood

Remember the maniac biker boy? Well knock on wood.....He begged to ride around the block and Cami was out on her bike so he went with her....down three drive ways and was looking over his shoulder talking to Cami and crashed....face first into the road.....

His two front teeth were bent completely back and the roots were poking forward. He was bleeding all over the place. I pushed them back into place and tried to call the pediatric dentist. They were out of the office for spring break. Then I tried the adult dentist....He was out of the office....Then I tried the pediatricians office...I just wanted an x-ray to make sure the teeth were ok and to make sure he didn't need stitches on the ginormous mouth wound his teeth caused. They wouldn't see him and sent us to the ER which in the end was ok since he did end up having a little concussion (despite his spider man helmet). 

They were also worried his upper jaw bone was fractured but it didn't look like it after the xray....So he got to be on a liquid diet involving a lot of ice cream and smoothies and yogurt for 5 days then a soft diet for another week. Two different dentists later and his teeth are still in tact. The one is now gray (the way a tooth bruises) and will be until it falls out in a couple years (or sooner if he decides to be crazy again). The highlight was all the construction equipment and vehicles outside his ER room...but still isn't this one of the saddest faces ever.

Maniac biker boy

Creed goes full tilt when it comes to anything physical. Seriously he has no fear or self preservation. When it comes to two wheeled bikes he rode like a maniac when he was barely three...He was FAST and reckless, not always (or hardly ever) watching where he was going...We relied on training wheels to slow him down and keep him in one piece.
Well this year we figured he was older and wiser....off came the training wheels in February. The first time around the block without his training wheels he did great. A few stops and starts but no crashes....The second time around the block he decided he was ready to jump curbs and do trick moves like lifting his feet onto the handle bars....And he really was pretty balanced....balanced enough to fall gracefully if he needed to....
He is kind of amazing but very seriously a maniac....Good thing he has spider man helmet for his cute little head....

Ice Castles and Temples

The weekend after Cami's birthday we all headed back up north to Papa's house. We decided to go to this cool ice castle and then the Provo City Temple open house. Friday we drove like crazy and got to the ice castle in Midway Ut just as it was getting dark. We met up with cousins and wandered around this ice castle maze like place. There were all colors of lights inside the ice and it was super cool when they lit up. Jocelyn thought it was just like Elsa's ice castle and she was in heaven Then it started raining/sleeting and we got a little wet....There was an awesome ice slide that we all went down and got our bums soaking wet which was awesome....except when you live somewhere really hot most of the year you aren't super prepared to go someplace pretty wet and cold. Despite us wearing the best we had, we were all freezing pretty quick and the littles went and sat in the car with the heater while the other kids finished looking with cousins.

The next day we went to the Draper temple with Cami since she wanted to go the first available day after turning twelve. It was fun because since we were up north she got to go with several cousins. It was a really great way to start having temple experiences.

 After the temple we all went out to eat then checked out the new city center temple which was totally amazing. The wood work alone was awe inspiring and all old fashioned finishes really looked good...like it was the old tabernacle but a temple at the same time. 

We busted home on Sunday right after church and it was a seriously long drive...like 7 1/2 hours for what is normally barely 5 hours. The roads were horrible and we saw so many slide offs we lost count. We did call 911 several times for people but for reals it is not worth it to drive fast in the snow....Overall though it was a great fast jam packed weekend!

After Cami's first temple trip with the cousins...

Taryn chillin' at the Ice Castles..

Creed being entertained and kept out of trouble thanks to Hanaha...

The glowing lights turned colors and music was playing...It was super cool.

Jocelyn trying hard to stay warm but not aware that her coat really should be zipped....we have such warm weathered children!

Then it started to rain...or sleet...

And it was fun until it was too wet and cold...

This was the path you had to shimmy up to get to the bridge/slide thing. Good times....

Cami lambi lou is 12

Yup, this happened. I have a kid that turned twelve. Luckily she is a nice kid and will ease us into the on coming teenage years....at least I hope for a gentle entrance into the teenage years....Cami is the most organized non procrastinator ever. I don't ever wonder what assignments she has because first she tells me a month in advance and second she makes lists like no other and third they are done way before they are due. It is such a great trait! She is a really responsible kid with everything from school to babysitting. She is great to play with the littles or anyone that shows up at our house. She often creates crazy new games so all ages can play. She is great at including people. She still reads like a maniac and was particularly excited to turn twelve so she could read hunger games. I told her a few years ago that she could read them until she was 12 or 13 or 14 and she latched onto 12 and didn't forget. She had all three books done about two days after her birthday...She will read anything and everything. She also makes really good choices that will make her happy and I so appreciate that. We got lucky that Cami is part of our family. She is a joy to be around and brings happiness to others too. She's a good one! 

Anyway, Cami's big day was on a Monday and she leaves for school by like 7 and didn't want to get up any earlier than she all ready has to so her daddy daughter breakfast date happened on Saturday. She graduated from Denny's breakfast to a real restaurant and tried real food-stuffed french toast (a milestone for her because she is the pickiest eater in the universe). Later that day I took her to a make up store for a make over. She had asked for make up for her birthday, and while I was surprised since she generally doesn't care about stuff like that, I wanted her to learn how so she wont be afraid to wear it if she wants. We also went shopping and got ice cream. So basically she had a good pre birthday celebration. 

On her actual birthday I got up and made cinnamon rolls (out of the can :) ). She went to school all day (wearing make up...but not done hootchily) then had family bday action that night. It was funny that she actually got gifts from boys this year....at least it was a nice boy....AHHHHHHH! Anyway, here's to hoping she has a great year because she is a kid that makes our years and days great!

Breakfast out with Brent-his tradition to take each kid out for breakfast on their birthdays...She is still talking about the awesome hot chocolate...

Her actual birthday with make up on....

She got a basket for her bike so she could ride to and from the library without her bags ripping from too much book weight....

Yes she did lose her last baby tooth and got her last set of braces on....Still such a cute smile!

She's a pretty on the outside and she is on the inside....which is really saying something.