Weeks 16 & 17

This was a really busy 2 weeks! I am not sure when my life isn't really busy though!
Saturday April 16: Brayden out by Grandpa Lee's chickens. He is so funny, whenever he goes out in their back yard he heads straight for the chickens making a "ba ba ba" noice, but it's not a bleating, I think it's his attempt at bak-ing like a chicken.
Sunday April 17: Lilly's 3rd birthday! She is getting so big, it's kind of unreal that she is already 3!

Monday April 18: For FHE we did this activity where you do an egg hunt and then the eggs tell the story of Easter.

Tuesday April 19: I helped in Natalie's preschool class. She asks almost everytime she goes to preschool if it's my day to help so she was VERY excited that it finally was!

Wednesday April 20: Hailey organized her clothes, she does this every little while, ever since she was little she loved to catagorize things and make piles and organize things. It's a mom's dream!

Thursday April 21: My new calling is Activity Day Leader for the 10-11 year olds. This was my first activity, it was so much fun, I think I am really going to love this calling!

Friday April 22: At dress rehearsal for our stake roadshow. My job is to watch the little sheep, I thought it was hilarious that these 4 little ones were "playing cards"!

Saturday April 23: Allan coaching Ally's soccer team the "Pink Butterflies"

Sunday April 24: Easter Sunday, The Easter Bunny brought the girls these animal dress-ups!

Monday April 25: Brayden and Lilly had their check-ups. Brayden's 15 month and Lilly's 3 year.

Tuesday April 26: Allan and Kristy's 10 year Anniversary...why isn't this a picture of Allan and Kristy you ask? Well, because this is about how this day went: Kristy: runs, then gets the kids ready for school. Allan: gets ready and leaves for work. Kristy: usual day time stuff then runs kids around to activities ending with "shepherding" for the road show. Allan: finishes work, comes home, has soccer practice with Ally, comes and watches the road show. Kristy and Allan: finally together, go home and put the kids to bed and go to sleep. Depressing you say? NOT AT ALL...because...in 3 DAYS we leave on a 10 DAY vacation with no kids!

Wednesday April 27: I threw a surprise party for Arin because her birthday is while Zoe and I would be on our cruise. It was fun to have a get together with the families and Arin was totally surprised especially since her birthday wasn't for another week.

Thursday April 28: What's the worst thing that could possibly happen the day before you leave for a 10 day vacation? Okay in all honesty, probably not this, but it was pretty bad. As I was doing the usual hussle of getting the kids ready and onto the bus Hailey yelled to me that there was water in the hall. And not just a little bit, inches of water coming out of the bathroom! We had a huge flood, and had to call in a restoration company who had to pull up carpet in 3 rooms and my closet, take off floor boards, and use giant LOUD fans to dry everything out. I couldn't just leave the loud fans and go somewhere else though, I had to get packed to leave and make sure my house was ready for my parents and Allan's parents to come watch the kids while we were gone! It was a mess to say the least, but we got everything done that "needed" to be done! This picture is of some of the fans and heaters that were going.

Friday April 29: Leaving for our cruise! As you can see on top of the wonderful flood it snowed
that night. Notice the large pile of towels that had been used the day before to dry up all the water and were all spread out on the grass drying before it started to snow. Luckily we left this all behind us and started a WONDERFUL trip!

Week 15

Saturday April 9-We went out for a treat and were surprised to find out Sundae's had FREE Ice Cream!
Sunday April 10-Lilly fell asleep while playing on her magnadoodle. She is such a stinker, she never wants to go to bed and always crashes somewhere. I should really be a better mom and make her go to bed anyway.

Monday April 11-Brayden loves to be outside and he has no fear about staying close, he just wants to venture out and explore!

Tuesday April 12- We had a watermelon in our Bountiful Basket this week, Brayden LOVED it!

Wednesday April 13- Typical dinner time at our house!

Thursday April 14-Lilly had an accident and I put her in the bath, then Brayden was into some kind of mess and I forgot about her while I was cleaning it up. When I went back the tub was so full it was about to overflow, she didn't seem to mind though!

Friday April 15-Our good friend Sydney Pettingill got baptized today!

Week 14

Saturday April 2nd-Natalie is such a silly girl, I swear she is up-side-down more than she is right-side-up these days! I remember being the same way as a kid.
Sunday April 3-When I went and got Brayden out of bed this morning he crawled right over to cuddle with Allan who was still asleep.

Monday April 4-I started potty training Lilly today, she did pretty well!

Tuesday April 5-Yesterday they started sheetrocking the basement. They did the celings yesterday and most of the walls today! It's so exciting to see it coming together!

Wednesday April 6-I took Lilly and Hailey to Artic Circle on a special date. I had lots of cute pictures of them playing together, but I was really amazed at this little rock climber!

Thursday April 7-Our first winter here Allan told me "the snow will be off the ground by my birthday (late march) for sure" that was a horrible winter and it wasn't even close! Most of the years it hasn't been off by his birthday. This year the snow was gone so early it was very nice, BUT that just means everytime we get a little snow I am disappointed because I thought winter had left us already! Wake up Kristy, you live in IDAHO!

Friday April 8-Date Night...I'm a little embarassed to admit this, but our plans were to go to the temple this night. We were all dressed and Allan said to check my reccommend. I was SURE that was silly because it couldn't be expired, but sure enough it had expired in March! doh! Well, our good friend Trudy had come to babysit so we took advantage and went to a different dinner and a movie instead.

Week 13

Saturday Mar 26- Allan's 32 birthday! We went out on a date to Cafe Rio, Cupcake Factory, and a movie, but I forgot my camera. I remembered I hadn't taken a picture while we were watching TV at like 10:30 and this was the picture.
Sunday March 27-Allan's sister's birthday is the day after his. She turned 40 this year! She etched Allan's name into her cake so he could be part of the celebration.

Monday March 28-Our new shelves in the storage room. They have been finished for a little bit, but today I started moving EVERYTHING into the room so we could start drywall/tape/texture!

Tuesday March 29-Ally's spring portrait, I am too cheap to actually buy these things so I took a picture of her picture and sent it back. I think it's dumb that they print a whole package and send it home with everyone and then tell you to pay for it or send it back, what a HUGE waste of paper, ink, etc. No wonder they charge so much for you to keep it, they have to make up for all the money they wasted!

Wednesday March 30-All winter long a group of us have been going to the church in the morning to exersize. Most days the bigger kids pull Brayden around in this blocks wagon, double bonus because he loves it and it keeps him out of my hair while I work out!

Thursday March 31-I worked at the kids book fair today. I always spend WAY too much at this book fair, but EVERYTHING is 1/2 off and I am a sucker for good books!

Friday April 1-The big kids went to Grandma's for a sleepover with some cousins so we got to hang out with Brayden and Lilly. If I could freeze my kids at this age I would love it!

Week 12

Saturday March 19-Hailey's first volleyball tournament. Hailey's grandma had to take her because there was something else going on too. Poor girl threw-up before the first game started and sat that game out, then she played the rest of the games without sitting out at all!
Sunday March 20-Hailey invited her non-member friend Vianka to church.

Monday March 21-I made up a game of Jeopardy for FHE. The kids had lots of fun playing.

Tuesday March 22-I let the girls play "popcorn" during scripture reading tonight, it was great because they did a great job of following along.

Wednesday March 23-It was such a beautiful day today! All of the neighborhood kids were outside playing. They all got their chairs and lined them up like the moms always do.

Thursday March 24-Brayden is such a picky eater! It's not even that he doesn't like a lot of foods, he just gets in these moods where he doesn't want to eat something. Today it was eggs, if I managed to get some into his mouth he would take them out with his hand and throw them across the kitchen. Yesterday or tomorrow we could have had eggs and he would eat them fine. Pretty sure I am being punished for giving any of my sister-in-laws bad times about their picky eaters!

Friday March 25-Our ward Chili Cookoff. This year I took a chicken tortilla chili and my chili won "best looking." Last year I took my traditional chili and won "best overall" so my nephews were not impressed that I didn't defend my title! haha

Week 11~ March 12-18!

Have I gotten behind on blogging, YES! Have I still been taking a picture a day, YES! I figured out that if I post a week each day I will be caught up in 3 WEEKS! Wow, how has this year gone by so quickly!?!?!
Saturday March 12-Brayden has started to become a little monkey, he loves to climb up on the table and run back and forth to the edges and scare me to death!
Sunday March 13-I started a food blog of recipes to use with Bountiful Basket items.

Monday March 14-Kindergarten Round-up! We registered Natalie for Kindergarten and she got to take a little "test" to see how ready she is. (she got them all!)

Tuesday March 15- Natalie helping snap green beans for dinner.

Wednesday March 16- In preparation for St. Patrick's day we painted our nails GREEN!

Thursday March 17- Green pancakes for St. Patrick's Day!

Friday March 18- 1st grade pet day! Ally had her Papa Lee bring a chicken to show the class.

Happy Fathers Day!

I have TONS to blog about, but it will all have to wait! I wanted to take a minute to recognize the two most important men in my life.

This is a picture of my dad and I going to my first child's blessing. Part of the significance of this picture is that my dad had melanoma when I was something like 2 years old. He was not supposed to survive, but thanks to the Lord and a wonderful priesthood blessing that said he would live to see me grow up and get married, I have had a lifetime full of memories with my dad. I am an only child so in my opinion I may be closer to my parents than most kids. My dad has always been there for me. He was the one who combed my hair patiently when I was small, we used to go on mountain bike rides together when I was in junior high, he would take me to work with him and teach me how to do useful things like remodeling and electrical work, he followed me around when I was doing stuff I wasn't supposed to be doing as a teenager. He has supported me in every endevor I have taken on as an adult, college, marriage and parenthood to name a few. I love my dad so much and I can't imagine what my life would have been like without him. I am so thankful to a loving Heavenly Father who gave me a life with an earthly father.

This is my wonderful husband with our children yesterday. Allan is an amazing husband, he works so hard to support our family and me in everything I do, which is a lot! He is patient with me and doesn't get *too* mad when I volunteer for yet another thing, and he just goes with it if the laundry isn't done or the house is messy or dinner isn't made because I have had a crazy day. He helps me cart kids to and from their many activities and is ALWAYS willing to watch them (and sometimes my friend's kids) so I can have a night out! He loves his kids and is an incredible father. He coaches their teams, even when he has to wear a PINK jersey. He takes care of our yard and our garden. He reminds me to have fun and play! He makes me feel beautiful, even when I haven't showered and I smell like baby spitup (or something worse). He is always willing to help a friend, neighbor, or family member. He is adventurous and loves the outdoors just like me. He takes me to midnight premires of movies he doesn't really want to go see because he knows I really want to go. If I ask him to do something he almost always does it which is saying a lot. I love Allan and am so grateful that he is my husband, best friend, and partner in everything.