Thunder's Rumblings

Sewing days

2012-01-06T22:10:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the school year, Biz, my mom, and I started having a weekly sewing day on Thursday's. First of all, let me just say that I am NOT a sewer, but this is one of my favorite things and I always look forward to it. We mostly just make things up as we go, making simple things using materials we already have. Lots of skirts and blankets. It's so much fun having a creative outlet every week. My last big project was making little stuffed monsters for all the kids on my side of the family for Christmas. They were so much fun to make. I wish I would have taken a picture of all of them. Here's Haley's and Lily's.
Here is a picture of the skirt I made yesterday for Haley. It's from an old t- shirt of mine. I also made 2 pairs of leggings for Lily out of my old shirts. Look at me be frugal, green, and crafty all at the same time!

2012-01-02T19:45:00.001-07:00

Lily is growing up so fast! I wish I could freeze time.

My Two Little Princesses

2011-12-08T16:55:00.000-07:00

2011-12-08T16:45:00.000-07:00

I haven't been very good at keeping up this blog. Here are a few pictures of Lily all ready for a walk. So glad I get to hang out with her all day everyday!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T07:43:00.000-06:00

This is the first year we've ever dressed up as a family. We were a rock band and had so much fun! Britton doesn't like Halloween at all and usually doesn't want to dress up, but he was totally excited about this. This isn't the best picture (taken with an iphone), but it's the only one we have. Lily is dressed up as my electric guitar. Britton is wearing Haley's skinny jeans. :) We had so much fun!

Britton Again

2011-09-28T21:27:00.000-06:00

Practically right after I wrote that last post, this happened...

Britton was holding Lily and staring at her and said, "Who knew the love of my life would be short and bald?"

I know he heard that on a commercial or something, but it was still so cute hearing him say it to her. He really is smitten by her.

We all are.

Overheard

2011-09-26T13:53:00.001-06:00

The other day Britton was holding Lily and talking to her. He said, "The day you were born was the best day of my life!"

It was the sweetest thing. I love seeing them together and how happy they make each other.

Consider the Lilies

2011-09-18T18:15:00.000-06:00

One of my all time favorite passages of scripture is found at the end of Matthew 6.

"...Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothes the grass of the field, which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? ... for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

I love these words, I love the concept of the Lord taking care of us, of seeking the kingdom of God and not worrying about anything else, but it's not an easy thing for me to do.

I am a planner. I like to make lists. I like to budget. I like to save. I like to know what tomorrow (or the next 10 years) will bring. I like to be in control. And, I'm proud and stubborn and I think I know everything. So, when things don't turn out as planned, it's hard for me. I get scared. I panic. I don't deal with it very well.

I feel like that's been the story of my life for the past 3 years or so--the fear, the panic, the "not dealing so well".

We had been wanting another child ever since Haley was 1 1/2. After a pregnancy ended in miscarriage, we felt prompted that we needed to go to China for a year. What a remarkable experience it was for our family, something we would have never even considered with a young baby or one on the way. I was sure, though, that as soon as we arrived home and got settled, I would be able to get pregnant and it would be the perfect time for another child to come into our family.

Over the next few years, our family had many trials. Things that I could never have predicated and definitely couldn't control. Things that were really hard for me. Through it all, I kept wishing, hoping for another child. I began wondering if it wasn't supposed to happen. If I should just forget about it. I was given a blessing that said everything was fine and it would happen when it was supposed to happen. So, I stopped trying to plan and started trying to trust.

When I found out I was pregnant, it was at a time when the stress and trials were so overwhelming. I was working long hours, both day and night. We didn't have enough money. We didn't have adequate insurance. The kids were struggling. We had just lost a loved one. My marriage was weak. My whole family was worn thin. And we were just so busy trying to stay afloat. I didn't even realize I was pregnant (the thing I had been longing and yearning for) because I was so preoccupied in just getting through daily life. It didn't possibly feel like the ideal time. And while I was sincerely excited and grateful, it was overshadowed by more fear and panic. I couldn't see how everything was going to work out.

As I look back over the last 3 years of my life, they have been, without a doubt, the most difficult. I feel like I have been tried and tested in every facet of my life. I feel like my family has been under constant attack. While we haven't always dealt with it perfectly and are still dealing with a lot of things, we have learned so much, we have grown so much. We still aren't free from trials, but we are strong.

Recently, we received the ultimate blessing for our family--our beautiful little girl, Lily Emily Kemp. I can see now that the Lord's timing may not be our timing, but it is the perfect timing. When we can't figure out how everything is going to work out, He can. He will take care of us. He will bless us. And He will do so abundantly.

In the future, when I am afraid and feel out of control, I will "consider my Lily" and remember to trust in everything Heavenly Father has in store for me.

Things making me happy right now:

2011-09-09T10:25:00.000-06:00

I made a dress for Haley yesterday
I've been jogging the last 3 days in a row
I got to shower today :)
It's Friday
The free Kindle app on my iTouch and all the free books at amazon.com
Excited for the Walk-a-thon tomorrow--go Team Emily!
My cute little baby girl

Picture of the Day

2011-09-06T20:43:00.000-06:00

Love that little face!

Lily's Blessing Day--Sept. 4, 2011

2011-09-05T14:50:00.000-06:00

We're So In Love!

2011-07-08T18:46:00.000-06:00

Lily Emily Kemp
Born June 28, 2011
7 lbs. 12 oz.
19 inches
She's perfect!!!

Lesson Learned

2011-06-14T17:42:00.000-06:00

I don't think Britton will be riding without a helmet anymore.

The Last Week of May

2011-06-08T16:47:00.000-06:00

We bought our first investment property. It's a cute little house just a few blocks from our house. We have had our eye on it for some time and made our first offer quite a while ago, but it was quite a long process to closing. But, it all worked out for the best and we got the keys the 23rd of May. It needed quite a bit of work, but we really wanted to get it all done and renters in by June 1st, if possible. Jason was really busy with work and I am useless on most remodeling jobs since I'm so pregnant, but amazingly, we got it all done! My mom and Jason spent every extra second that they could over there getting it ready. I did most of the cleaning and the things that I could do while the kids were at school plus dealing with showing it and all the tenant applications/choosing tenants. It was a long, tiring week, but we are so glad that we got it all done. We would all go home tired and sore every night and then wake up early the next morning and do it all again. I'm glad our hard work paid off and we were able to get renters so quickly. What a blessing.

Here are a few pictures. I love the big back yard although it needs quite a lot of tender, loving care.

School's Out! School's Out!

2011-06-06T19:04:00.000-06:00

Yippee! School's finally out!

Actually, we couldn't wait for school to be out and we decided to head down to St. George last Thursday. So, the kids missed their last day. (actually their last hour and a half since that's all they had on Friday) We left right after school Thursday and drove straight to Tuacahn Theater where we got to see our nephew, Payton, in The Little Mermaid. He is Flounder. The play was AMAZING! All the choreography, costumes, and visual/technical effects were really phenomenal. I loved how they made it seem like they were under the sea and swimming. And all the actors were great. If anyone gets the chance to go down there, definitely go see it--it's worth it and fun for the whole family.
We played in St. George on Friday and then came back Saturday for our other nephew, Hayden's baptism. It was such a fun weekend seeing so much family.
Then we headed up to our cabin to kick off our summer with just our family. We always have so much fun up there. Britton, Haley, and I spent most of Sunday writing a play together to perform for Jason. We were being so silly and having so much fun. Britton and I laughed so hard we were crying and we couldn't stop. I may or may not have lost control of my bladder. :) It was the best. Haley even said it was probably the best day of her life. I love that. I love making memories with my kids, even when it's just something simple. We made fires, roasted things, sang silly songs, went on a few hikes, played games, and just enjoyed each other.
I love summer!

Dance Festival

2011-05-28T08:56:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was the kids' dance festival at school. It's always so much fun to go to. The videos are horrible quality, but I want to remember anyway, so they are there. Both kids are on the 2nd row back, so it's kind of hard to see them. I was so proud of both of them for doing so well.

Haley's Zoo Field Trip

2011-05-28T08:42:00.000-06:00

About a month ago, I was able to go with Haley's class to the zoo. It rainy, snowy, windy and cold the whole time. But, it was still fun. Her teacher really knows how to do field trips. She had enough parent volunteers so that each parent only had their own child and one other. How nice and easy. I loved it. So, I just had to worry about Haley and her friend Alexis.

On my mind

2011-05-25T19:55:00.000-06:00

There has been so much on my mind lately. Here are a few things I've been thinking about:
*all the fun things we can do this summer
*getting so excited for this cute little baby to be out of me so I can share her with everyone
*why does it seem that all the stress and busyness comes at the same time?
*excited that we just bought our first rental property--can't wait to get the work done and get it rented
*still amazed that everyday things make my body so sore and tired--being pregnant in your 30's is just not the same (or maybe it's been so long that I just can't remember how sore and tired pregnancy makes you)
*wondering if I can be the person my family needs me to be
*decluttering and rearranging our house
*loving the weather the past few days
*marveling about how interesting people are

Easter Pictures (a little late)

2011-05-11T10:28:00.000-06:00

I'm so grateful for my two little monkeys!

Haley's Hula Recital

2011-05-02T23:27:00.000-06:00

Haley started taking hula this past year at Island Style Dance Studio. My good friend, Lani, owns the studio. Haley has had so much fun. She absolutely loves it.
This video is one of her dances from the recital. It is a Tahitian Dance so there is a lot of hip shaking.

April

2011-04-27T13:56:00.002-06:00

April, my favorite month of the year, is almost over. Where has the time gone? Seriously, I wish I could slow down time.

We had spring break, my birthday, Britton's birthday, Haley's dance recital, and Easter all within the last few weeks. And then all the usual things that we have going on. It's been such a fun month.

Here are a few pictures of Britton on his birthday. He got an electric guitar (yes, we are crazy) and he couldn't be happier. Jason found a good deal on another guitar yesterday and bought it for himself. He just couldn't stand letting Britton have all the fun.

Alias

2011-03-23T17:52:00.000-06:00

Today, picking up Britton from school...
Britton: I changed my name to Xavier. Xavier Joe Coriph (with a ph)
Me: Okay, why?
Britton: It's never good for a Substitute to know your real name.

Britton Loves Mustaches!

2011-03-15T10:46:00.000-06:00

Britton went to Nickel City yesterday with his friend on their day off. These are the prizes he picked out: 3 fake mustaches, fangs, and a whoopee cushion. Love that kid!

Fun Weekend

2011-03-13T09:18:00.000-06:00

Jason and I had been talking about going to Las Vegas for the MWC tournament this year. But, as it got closer to this weekend, we both were busy with work and with the price of gas right now, we decided we probably shouldn't go. So, we decided to let the kids miss school on Friday and head up to our cabin and have our own tournament weekend up there. It was definitely the right decision. We had so much fun.

We spent the weekend up there about 3 weeks ago and had so much fun. The kids had been dying to go back up. We meant to leave on Thursday after school, but didn't get done with work and other errands in time, so we left Friday morning.

We could drive a little way up the dirt road, but then you have to snowmobile the rest of the way up. We loaded all our gear on the little trailer hooked to the snowmobile. Jason drove that up with Haley and I drove the other snowmobile with Britton. A few minutes into the ride, my snowmobile died and wouldn't start up again. (Our last trip, this particular snowmobile didn't run at all, so this wasn't super surprising.) Jason fiddled around with it for quite a while and then decided we should just leave it and head up to the cabin. So, Britton went with him and Haley and I started walking. It was such a beautiful day, so I didn't mind walking at all. Just when Haley was getting too tired to go any further, we heard the snowmobile coming down to get her. She got so excited! Without the trailer hooked on the back, he was able to drive both of us up to the cabin.

Once we were unpacked and settled with the power and water on, Jason decided to go back down and try to fix the other snowmobile. I took the kids sledding outside. Haley brought her new tube that she got for her birthday. Last time, we made a really good sledding run in the driveway of our cabin, so we just tried it out there. It was fun, but climbing back up the hill was a lot harder this time because the snow wasn't as packed down. Every few steps, I would sink all the down into the snow which would go up almost to my waist. It's not so fun and easy to get out of when you are almost 6 months pregnant.

After a little while sledding, Jason came back saying he had the snowmobile working. So, the kids went inside to watch some TV while I went back with Jason to retrieve the snowmobile. We were so happy to have two working snowmobiles. It makes everything a lot easier.

That evening, we made dinner, played games, did puzzles, ate lots of junk food, and watched the BYU/New Mexico game. It was so much fun. I think the cabin is such a magical place for my kids. They absolutely LOVE being there. They are so happy the whole time we are there and play so well together. I love watching them and being with them.

Saturday morning, I went outside to sled with the kids. After a couple of okay attempts on the tube, Haley and I went off the track and flipped over backwards. I did a back somersault and she flew over the top of me. She loved it and laughed and laughed, but I decided it was a little much for this pregnant lady and that I better be much more careful with my body. So, when Jason came out, I told him I couldn't sled anymore, just watch. We decided to ride the snowmobiles down to find a better sledding spot. We went down to the main road and there was a perfect spot right on the road. They could go really far and really fast. And the snow was packed really well from all the snowmobiles. I just sat and watched the three of them have so much fun. After a while, Jason sat with me and we both just watched our kids. I love my family so much. We were all so content and happy. That's what life's all about. The kids would go so far down with each tube run that it would take them forever to get back up the hill. So, Jason started riding the snowmobile down and giving them a ride back up. They are so spoiled!

Britton really wanted to go on a fun snowmobile ride with Jason, so Haley and I stayed tubing a little longer and then I took her back to the cabin and we made lunch. Jason taught Britton how to drive the snowmobile and made him practice turning and steering. They had a lot of fun.

After lunch, Jason went with the people who have a cabin next to ours on a "grown-up" snowmobile ride. The kids and I stayed and played. I worked on a puzzle and the kids went up in the loft to "plan their rock band". They started composing songs and making schemes to save up their money for an electric bass guitar. It's so fun to listen to them. I don't know how Britton is able to get Haley on board with everything he wants, but she is always just as excited as he is. When we got home, she gladly handed all of her birthday money over to their guitar fund. And they spent hours looking up electric guitars on ebay and craigslist. So funny.

We decided to leave the cabin about 3:00 and watch the final BYU game at home, instead of coming back in the dark. The snowmobiles ran fine and we were able to get all of us down with all our stuff in only one trip without anyone walking. It's a good thing we left when we did because we were able to help another family parked by us who had flat tires in their car.

Every time we are at the cabin, all of us just wish we could live there. We definitely need to go there more often. I love every single season up there. I am so grateful that we have a place we can escape to so easily when we all need to relax and spend good quality time together without any distractions.

Happy Birthday Haley!!!

2011-03-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

Today is Haley's 7th Birthday. I love this girl more than I could ever describe. Yesterday we had a Princess Party--again! I think this is the 3rd year in a row. I kind of was hoping that she had out grown the princess stuff. But, then again, I'm kind of glad she hasn't. She's growing up way too fast.

This little girl makes me laugh every single day. She is so stubborn and feisty, but also so loving and sweet.

Britton bought her a double sledding tube so they can sled at the cabin. (He broke our sled last time we were there and she was so sad.) She was so excited and said it's "the best present ever". Last night, she slept inside the tube. Too cute. I can't wait for next weekend when we go to the cabin again.

This year Haley has been losing teeth like crazy. She past Britton up on the teeth-losing with her last one.

Haley loves school. She is in 1st grade this year and has Mrs. Jones. She is a great teacher for Haley. She is very kind and loving. And she likes Haley a lot.

Haley has been taking hula and piano classes this year. She loves them both and alternates which one is her favorite. It is so fun to watch her do her hula dancing. She is so cute and she just smiles so big while she is doing it. For piano, she takes a group lesson for beginners. It is a lot of fun. She can't wait to start taking private lessons.

Some of Haley's favorites:
*color--red (after being pink for all these years)
*food--ice-cream
*movie--"that's gonna be a hard one, there's a million." "okay, my favorite movie is Camp Rock"
*TV show--Phinneas and Ferb
*thing to do--play with my family
*vacation--Disneyland
*school subject--art
*toy--baby doll Tyler

Haley can't wait to have a little sister! She is so excited. I'm sure she will teach her everything. If the baby is anything like Haley, we'll be the luckiest parents in the world. (We already are!)

Changes

2011-02-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Oh my, it's been a long time since I have posted. Well, there have been a lot of changes for our family in the last couple of months.

First, I quit my job. Although, I loved my job, it had kind of taken over my life. And, my family really needs me more than I could give while working full time. After giving my 2 weeks notice, they gave me quite a few options to stay on. So, I found a plan that seemed like it would be good for me and my family, and allow me to still work a little bit. I am so much happier since the switch. And so is my family.

The second big change is that I got released from Young Women's. After about 4 years working with these girls, it has been a hard adjustment. They threw me a surprise party last Thursday and it was so much fun just to play and be around them again. When I think about not going to camp this summer, it makes me so sad. But, that's how it goes. I can't stay in my dream calling forever, I guess. Last Sunday I got called as the 2nd counselor in Primary. I will be over the Cub Scouts which really frightens me since I know very little about it. But, I also know it's right where I need to be right now. My kids are both so excited that I will be with them every Sunday, so that makes me really happy.

The biggest change in our family right now is that we are expecting our 3rd child. It's kind of old news, but since it's been so long since I blogged, I haven't written about it yet. We are all so excited. I will be 20 weeks this weekend (half way there!) and we will find out what we are having next week! I can't wait. Britton and Haley are over joyed. We've all been wanting a new baby for quite a while.

I feel so blessed in my life right now.

Haley's Photo Shoot

2010-11-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, one of my Young Women took Haley for a photo shoot out in the rain. I love how all the pictures turned out. She really captured Haley's personality and expressions so well. Thanks Aly! BEWARE: tons of pictures ahead.

Today

2010-10-31T20:15:00.000-06:00

So much has happened in the last month that I need to record, but I just don't have the emotional energy to even start it.

But, I really do need to keep blogging. I love having a record of my life this way. So, I will start here with today and get to the things I've missed when I can.

Highlights of today:

*Being ALMOST on time to church
* Haley giving the scripture in Primary
* Britton teaching me how to throw a spiral while playing football after church--he's a great teacher, I'm doing much better already
* Being able to make dinner for my family after several weeks of eating out or barely eating because we're too busy
*FAMILY TIME

Conversation Tonight

2010-09-09T00:33:00.000-06:00

Me: What was the most important thing you did today?
Britton: Play with Hayden and Corbin (cousins)
Me: Why was that so important?
Britton: Well, Mom, because THEY are important.

There is nothing more important to Britton than his family. I'm so glad that he "gets" that. And I'm glad he's able to see so much of his family so often. What a lucky kid!

Big Brother

2010-09-04T15:57:00.000-06:00

Last night Haley was so tired that she kept getting in trouble. At one point, she called Britton a name and then hit him. I told her to go to her room for a bit. While in her room, she was crying pretty hysterically. In her crying, she said, "I don't even like myself."
Britton heard her and immediately said, "Haley, don't say that. You're great. Greater than you even know, especially to us."
It was so sweet and so sincere, especially since she had been so mean to him all night long. I love that he is such a good big brother.

Bear Lake

2010-09-01T14:12:00.000-06:00

We took a weekend trip to Bear Lake last weekend. Jon and Mijoung and family, my dad, and Jon's neighbors all went. And we brought Dylan and Destry (Sheryl's boys) with us. It was so much fun. I have always loved Bear Lake and its beautiful blue water.
It was a bit cold and windy, but we still managed to have a great time. We played at the beach, ate raspberry shakes, sat in the hot tub, went fishing, and enjoyed the views. Unfortunately, I didn't take too many pictures.

View from our balcony

First Day of School

2010-09-01T14:07:00.000-06:00

I didn't know they let monkeys go to school.

3rd Grader! Gotta love the sun in the eyes!

Big First Grader! Gets to eat lunch at school now.

With best friend, Isabelle

Summer's Almost Over

2010-08-17T05:56:00.000-06:00

I have been dreading school starting next week. I thought parents were supposed to be excited for their kids to go back to school. But, I'm not. Summer flew by way too quickly. I think part of my dread comes from not having time to do some of the things that I wanted to do this summer. It seems like I didn't have nearly as much time to play with my kids as I wanted to. But, when I think back to all the things that we DID do, I realize that it has been such a fun-filled, wonderful summer. We did so many of the things that I had planned, plus a lot of others that weren't planned. And it was filled with lots of playing with family and friends. What could be better than that?
So, I guess it's okay that it's coming to an end. Now maybe I'll have some time to document all of those fun things we did over the summer on this blog. :)

Friday night

2010-06-07T23:59:00.000-06:00

To continue our celebrating the end of the school year, we went up to our cabin. We had such a great time. It was just a low-key overnighter, but we all enjoyed each other so much. We had dinner, took a little hike, made a campfire, then slept in. On our way home, we went fishing and Britton caught his first fish ever!!! It was so exciting.
The highlights of the trip for me:
*Telling my kids the "Pea green soup" joke and "And so did the fat lady" joke and watching them laugh hysterically the most sincere laughs. Seriously, I think Britton's laugh could change the world.
*Seeing everyone's excitement and utter joy when Britton caught his fish. It made all the hours of waiting and waiting totally worth it.
Jason commented to me later that the whole weekend was the most fun he has ever had with his family. And I think we would all agree. And we've had plenty of good times. Even though it wasn't anything particularly special, we were just all content and happy to be together the entire time.
Family time is definitely what it's all about!

Blurry pics taken by the kids.

School's Out!

2010-06-06T21:55:00.000-06:00

School's been out for over a week now and I am loving it!!!

First thing we did to celebrate was to play with Melanie and her kids. They are here visiting from China for the summer. It is always so good to see them. We think of them as family. Since this is the first time we have seen them in a really, really long time, Melanie and I just let the kids run wild outside, jumping off the tree onto the tramp and making a big mud hole. They were so dirty, but they had tons of fun (except Ezra who is TERRIFIED of being dirty). Melanie and I just got to sit and chat and catch up which is always my favorite thing to do.

What a great way to start out the summer!

DREAMING...

2010-05-26T11:53:00.000-06:00

Britton and cousin Caden

2010-05-20T02:55:00.000-06:00

This boy just loves babies so much!

Crazy Hair

2010-05-20T02:50:00.000-06:00

This is the hairdo that Haley requested for Valentine's Day.

She loves being silly!

Soccer

2010-05-18T23:42:00.000-06:00

Britton played soccer again this year after a break last year. It seems like the soccer season ended as soon as it started. It zipped by. The weather was pretty cold for pretty much all the games. Actually, I think their March games were better weather than the May games. Crazy.

Britton played for the Green Goblins and absolutely loved it. He has improved quite a bit over the years. He actually has some skills and tries to pass and use his teammates. It's fun to see. His last game he scored a goal and barely missed on 2 other great shots. It was a fun season and we'll see what next year brings...

Britton's 8!!!

2010-05-15T06:00:00.000-06:00

On April 19, Britton turned 8! I can't believe I have an 8 year old. This is such a big year for him. He got baptized and got to start Cub Scouts. He's been so excited for both of these things.

He had a party with a lot of his friends from school, but I didn't get any pictures. We had a picnic at the park and a little treasure hunt and a kick ball game. It was really fun.

I still can't believe how grown up he is and how much busier I am keeping up with his schedule now. We only added scouts, but it happens to fall on our busiest day of the week. I know I'm just beginning the craziness of juggling my kid's schedules though. It'll only get busier from here on out. Fun, fun, fun.

Britton's Baptism

2010-05-14T19:09:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, Britton got baptized. It was such a special day for me. I am so proud of the person he is becoming and the decisions he is making. It was such a wonderful day. We had a lot of family from both sides there to support him. Both his grandpas were the witnesses. And his cousin, Reed, gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. His friend, Ben Fletcher was baptized the same day, so it was fun to share the morning with his family.

After the baptism and confirmation, everyone came back to our house for a barbecue and just to hang out. It was so fun spending the day with everyone. I'm so grateful for all of our relatives who are so supportive and such good examples to us. Britton has so many great cousins. He is so happy just being around them all.

Haley Turns 6!

2010-05-14T18:44:00.001-06:00

Haley's birthday was March 6th so these are way late being posted, but she had such a fun birthday party. It was a princess party. All the little girls wore princess dresses and then some of my neighbors came to help out and do their nails and make-up. They all looked so cute! The girls did a fabulous job making them into princesses and all the little girls loved it. We played lots of basic games, but changed them to fit with the princess theme. It was so fun seeing my little princess surrounded by all her friends having so much fun.

St. Patrick's Day

2010-05-14T01:52:00.000-06:00

This is the first year ever that I did anything for St. Patrick's Day. I left green treats from "Lucky the Leprechaun" and dyed our breakfast green. It wasn't much compared to some people, but my kids sure had a blast with it. The pictures are from right after school.

Hooray!

2010-05-14T01:46:00.001-06:00

I finally uploaded all my pictures from my camera, so I can blog again! It's time to play catch-up!

Add to my list of favorites

2010-05-01T21:06:00.000-06:00

Today Britton got baptized. Wow. What a special day. I don't even have the words. Definitely one of my favorite days ever.

I can't believe it's been over a month since I last posted

2010-04-27T23:06:00.000-06:00

Sometime within the last month, I have managed to misplace my camera cord that connects to the computer so I can download pictures. There are so many things we have done recently that I want documented, but I keep waiting because I want the pictures to go along with it. So, I've started a bazillion posts and saved them, just waiting for pictures so that I won't forget anything. And I'll just try to post more often about our day to day happenings until I find the cord.

We have been really busy around these parts. Life just doesn't ever seem to slow down. I spent my day today running around. To the school, to the store, back to the school to help out, to soccer games, to Pack meeting, to McDonald's. It was a full, but fun day. Now it's 11 pm and I work from 1-4 am so I have to keep myself awake until then. My life is crazy.

I love my kids

2010-03-17T14:39:00.000-06:00

I have been having so much fun with my kids lately. I think it's a combination of the weather being warmer so we can play outside and me not being quite as busy. Whatever it is, we've been having a blast.

The other day after school we went straight to Nickel City, a new arcade place that just opened up. It was so much fun. It wasn't crowded at all. We played ski ball, air hockey, and Britton won the jackpot several times on this one dump truck game. He earned enough tickets so that Haley could get a cute little teddy bear that she wanted. She was so happy. She even named it Britton since he gave her most of the tickets. I love it when they are nice to each other.

When we got home, we went straight into the back yard to climb the tree and play with Britton's parachute men that he got. Britton got talking about things he wanted to do this summer. I told him about a list I made of all the homeschool things I want to do and he got so excited. I forget how much he loves learning from me. He asked if we could mostly do science-y things because they don't do much science at school. Of course, I'm happy with that. Love that kid. We talked about the field trips we would go on and projects we would do. Haley got really excited and said, "Let's start now and do it everyday after school and on Saturdays and days off." She had an idea that we should learn about pirates and then go to Pirate Island for a field trip. Britton piped right in, "Haley, Pirate Island is just kind of like an amusement park, you don't really learn anything there." I thought it was hilarious. He's so serious about his learning. (when it's at home with me, not so much at real school) It was so great just hanging out with them hearing them get so excited about learning. I think once they started school, I stopped focusing on teaching them things. And I need to remember how important it is to still do it. Of course, I still teach them things, but not in the same way as when they were younger. I really made a huge effort when they were younger. So, I'm going to go back to that even though I don't have all day every day with them.

Britton went to go get Isaac and I thought they were just going to play in the backyard, but they came running in to get me. I guess Britton had invited him over to have a science class with us. :) So, I really had to scramble to put something together quickly. We ended up making a hummingbird feeder and they LOVED it. It's not quite warm enough to hang it yet, but I can't wait until we can watch hummingbirds everyday.

That evening, when Jason got home, we played a football game in the front yard--me and Britton against Haley and Jason. Later, as I thought about my day, I became overwhelmed with gratitude. I love days like that. Nothing overly special, but completely enjoying the moments with the ones I love.

2010-03-13T23:46:00.004-07:00

I stole this picture from Jason sister's blog (I hope that's okay, Kris!). It is from her baby Caden's baby blessing day. Caden is the newest member of the Kemp family. I just love this picture. They all look so perfect holding a little baby. We need to get us one of those. :)

2010-03-13T13:16:00.002-07:00

I have been the worst blogger in the world lately. I have so much to post about and so many pictures to upload, but I just wanted to jot down a few things about Haley lately before I forget them.

*The other morning she came in first thing and woke Jason up, "Dad, dad, is it a lion or a lamb day today?" It was so cute. Jason didn't have any idea what she was talking about. They've been talking about March coming in like a lion, going out like a lamb at school I guess. So, everyday she wants to know if it's a lion or lamb day.

*A week ago, Haley turned 6. This week I have overheard her so many times saying, "When I was 5, I used to..." like it was soooooo long ago. And like she's so much more grown up now. It's funny. And adorable.

*Just a few minutes ago, she came running up the stairs crying so hard. When I asked her what was wrong she said that the boys made a mii on the wii named Haley and that they were calling it "the real Haley". Through sobs she said, "But I'm the REAL Haley". It was so funny, but she was so serious, I couldn't laugh about it.

*The other night, we told Britton and Haley to go to bed and Britton jumped up and started dancing all over the room. Haley jumped up and said, "Oh, Britton, save it for your pillow!" I have no idea where she got that from. Jason and I couldn't stop laughing. She obviously heard it on tv or something, but it was too funny hearing it come out of her.

Cousin Sleepover

2010-01-31T22:36:00.001-07:00

A few weekends ago, Hayden and Corbin slept over. They all made this fort to sleep in. Britton wanted to sleep in a "real pile" like on Where the Wild Things Are.

Poems

2010-01-30T09:00:00.001-07:00

Here are a few poems Britton wrote at school lately.

I write of me climbing, and jumping
on the bed.
and thanks-giving,
about monsters!
and monkeys,
and beautiful mountains.
about animals
and stars.

I think I will do nothing for a long time,
but listen to the sounds of birds chirping in trees
and crickets chirping at night,
I hear music and the water in the fish tank,
I hear my neighbors talking.

I love these! They are just so him.

2010-01-29T22:47:00.002-07:00

The other day I straightened Haley's hair.

The Note

2010-01-29T17:28:00.002-07:00

The other day Britton handed me this note after school and said," I wrote this a few weeks ago, you'll know what it's about."

Note:
"This is just to say I'm sorry I was climbing on the bed. You were watching a movie. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I was just having fun."

And then it said, "I'm sorry" a whole bunch of times all over.

I thought is was such a cute note, but it also broke my heart a little. You see, I can't even remember this incident. And I feel horribly that I apparently got mad enough at him for him to be worried about it at school. Lately, it seems like I am getting mad at him all the time. Over every little thing. And, it's not fair to him. I've been so busy the last few months. And I don't always take the time to give him the attention or patience that he needs. And that breaks my heart. I love that boy more than anything. And I wish I could show that more.

Added to yesterday's post

2010-01-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

I just had to add this to yesterday's post.

Haley and I just got finished reading and she turned to me and said, "Mom, when you get 155 moneys I want to buy some new books."

155

2010-01-26T19:33:00.002-07:00

Haley's thing is "155" lately.

As in, "This is going to take us 155 minutes!" Or "If I count to 155 and you don't do it, you are going to time out." Or "when I'm 155, I'm going to..."

It makes me laugh every she says it. No idea where it came from.

Thanksgiving

2010-01-07T14:14:00.001-07:00

I found these pics today and they just made me laugh. I took pictures of Thanksgiving before everyone arrived and then totally forgot to take any pictures while people were here. :)
So, enjoy some pics of my empty house! It was full of people most of the day after these were taken and we had a great time!

Yesterday

2010-01-06T10:59:00.003-07:00

Yesterday was a messy day. I nearly broke all of my New Year's Resolutions. And it was only January 5. It was one of those days.

However, there were some good moments and that is what I want to remember.

We went to the Rec Center as a family, something my kids have been begging to do lately and I keep putting them off. Monday night I had planned on going, but then put them off again and PROMISED we would go on Tuesday. Tuesday came around and all I wanted to do was sleep. Jason even offered to take them alone and let me sleep, but I felt guilty about that, so I went. And I'm glad I did. We had such a good time. It's been a while since we have all gone there together. Here are some of the highlights:

*Haley getting soooo excited whenever she would make a basket. Sometimes she wouldn't even make it, but it sort of looked like she did, and she would still get all excited.

*Britton surfing on Jason's back in the pool. This has got to be one of my very favorite things to watch. Jason swims underwater and Britton balances standing up on his back like he is surfing. And it looks like Britton is just gliding on top of the water. They have gotten really good and can go the whole length of the pool. This time Jason even made it a little turbulent to see if Britton could keep his balance. He's really good. And I love watching all the other people at the pool stop to watch them. Haley and I even sang "Surfin USA" just to cheer them on. Good times.

*Watching Britton back float across the pool singing "I believe I can fly" REALLY loud. Hilarious.

*All the funny things Haley says while we're in the locker room changing. Her observations are priceless.

Haley's outfit

2010-01-03T20:43:00.001-07:00

I just had to document one of the outfits Haley chose for school a while back. A bright green skirt, purplish shirt, silver polkadot tights, and purple boots. And she INSISTED on wearing it all, just like that.

Overheard Yesterday

2009-12-24T10:53:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I heard Haley say the following to her cousin:

"My mom works at night and gets paid money and my dad works in the day and gets paid money so soon we will be able to live in a castle. Ahhh, I wish I was the princess of the world!"

It just made me smile. She is sure the princess of my world.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T10:44:00.002-07:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

I am loving Christmas already this year. We started out our festivities last Saturday with the Kemp family Christmas party at our house. And we haven't stopped playing since. We have had numerous cousins sleeping over every night since then. And it has been so much fun. Hyrum came to stay with us Saturday night and was here until yesterday. John and Leanne's family stayed with us Monday and Tuesday night. And Kenna slept over Tuesday night as well. So, it's been a great big party all week long. And then Anna has been over off an on to play because she has been staying with Jon and Mijoung. We've been sledding, shopping, watching movies, eating a lot of treats, and just enjoying everyone's company. Kim and Ryan also came over Tuesday night to join the crowd for watching the BYU bowl game. It has been so much fun. I love that my kids love all their cousins so much. They are in heaven when they can just play all day (and night) with them. Yesterday afternoon Kim took Britton and Haley to her house for a sleepover, so Jason and I were able to get the rest of our shopping done. Britton ended up coming home late last night, but we will go over to get Haley and hang out for a bit. Then, it's off to Sheryl and Ryan's for the Christmas Eve party. What fun. I love Christmas!

9 Years

2009-12-16T13:31:00.001-07:00

Today is my 9th anniversary.

Jason and I are both sick, exhausted, and stressed beyond stressed.

Not exactly the romantic anniversary one envisions.

However, I wouldn't want to be sick, tired, and stressed with anyone else!

It's been a great 9 years--here's to 90 more!

2009-12-13T09:30:00.002-07:00

Yesterday Britton bought himself a guitar with money he's been saving for quite a while.

We were totally going to get him one for Christmas. Now what do we do?

But, he was so excited when he saw it and realized he had enough money for it. He has been playing it ever since. This morning when he got up, the first thing he said was, "I can't believe I really have a guitar." It's so cute.

My Job

2009-12-12T22:09:00.002-07:00

I started working again about 6 weeks ago. I don't work a lot (about 15 hours a week), but it's at night, so it has completely thrown any schedule we did have completely out of whack. But, I really love my job and I think it is such a blessing in our life right now.

For a while, I had been thinking about getting a job on nights or weekends, when Jason is home, but I am a teacher and there aren't a whole lot of teaching jobs on nights and weekends. So, I feel very fortunate to have found this job. I teach English over the internet to kids in Korea. It is really cool how it all works out. I teach 14 classes a week right now and each class has, at most, 10 students in it. My students are ages 7-12. The classrooms are set up so that I can see all the students at the same time and they have a big screen so that they can see me. There is a Korean teacher in the room to help with discipline and translating when needed, but I am their main teacher. I love that I found a job that allows me to work at nights while my kids are both asleep AND teach. Right now, I have to go into the office to teach, but after another month or so I will be able to teach from home, so that will be even better. It has been really fun so far. The kids are great. The curriculum is really organized with lesson plans already prepared, but I can still add my own little games and personality to it. I'm excited to get teaching experience like this too as I think there will be more and more opportunities for online teaching in the future. It's definitely different than what I am used to because I am limited in the things I can do since I am not actually in the class with them. But, it's a fun challenge trying to think of fun interesting things to do and show them so they aren't just staring at my face the whole lesson. I'm amazed at how interactive I can still be. We play games all the time and I show pictures and objects and bring props. They really are a blast and they love every silly little thing that I can come up with. The technology is really amazing and I'm learning so much. Another thing I love is that from month to month, I can work as little or as much as I want. So, I can go down to one hour a week for a while to stay in the company, if needed.

Even though I really enjoy my job, it still has been a major adjustment for us. I don't get home until 3 or 4 in the morning most nights. Luckily, Jason works for himself, so he has started getting the kids up and ready and taking Britton to school at 9 on his way to work. That's when I usually get up to be with Haley. But, still that's a lot later than I used to get to sleep in. So far, it's working. I sometimes nap after Haley goes to school. Also, if I'm extra tired or know I have something important in the afternoon, Jason has been able to stay home all morning and be with Haley so I can sleep. One day my mom took Haley all morning so I could sleep too. So, I at least have options so that I can rest enough. It has really helped me be a lot more organized and prioritize my time a lot better. I have had to let go of a lot of things that I used to do so that I can get the day to day home things done. And then some days, nothing gets done because I choose to just sleep the whole 4 hours that Haley is at school. And that's okay.

Mostly, I'm just grateful that this job came along right at the perfect time.

Britton

2009-12-12T22:07:00.000-07:00

I was just playing around with photos the other day and I made this collage of Britton. He is such a fun, handsome kid. I'm so glad that I am his mom.

My Two Little Monkeys

2009-12-06T20:05:00.001-07:00

I just overheard Britton and Haley playing. Britton is opening up the "School of the Monkeys" and Haley is his first pupil. They are picking out uniforms right now. Can't wait to see what he teaches her...

My thoughts for today

2009-12-06T17:31:00.002-07:00

It's been a really long time since I have been good about blogging regularly. I don't really know what it is keeping me from it. The other day I went back through the archives and read some of what we were doing a year ago and it made me so grateful that I had recorded so much. And it's the small things that I really enjoy reading about. It's fun to look back on the big events too, but those things seem to stay in my mind anyway. So, it's all the cute things my kids do and say that I love to look back on and read. I'm hoping I can be better once again.

It feels like time is flying by at the speed of light lately. I barely realized October was over and then Thanksgiving was here. And now Christmas is a short few weeks away. I constantly feel a pull at me to slow down and let go of things that aren't important. But, it's easier said than done.

The last few months have been stressful and hard for our family for many different reasons. But, it's also been full of miracles and blessings. Things have happened that remind me once again of how much Heavenly Father knows our little family and watches out for us and blesses us with things beyond our understanding. He knows the desires of our hearts, of this I am sure.

Grateful

2009-11-27T11:59:00.003-07:00

Reading Time

2009-11-21T21:53:00.003-07:00

For Britton's daily reading time, lately he has chosen to read the Old Testament. The other day he asked me for a scripture marker so he could mark the parts he likes. I gave him one, but I just assumed he would randomly mark things for fun. But, I was glancing through his scriptures and read some of the parts he marked and could tell that he really was giving it thought and marking things that spoke to him. My favorite part that I saw was that he marked just the phrase, "he made the stars also" from where God was creating the earth and heavens. It just made me smile that Britton decided to mark that part because he has always loved the stars and anything to do with space. I could just feel his gratitude that God has made stars for us to enjoy.

Sunrise

2009-11-21T08:12:00.002-07:00

This morning, Haley came into my room right next to my bed and said, "I know it's still night time, but I want to watch the sunrise with you."

And even though I'm really sleep deprived and this is the only day I can sleep in, I just could not resist that little girl.

Halloween

2009-11-16T20:48:00.004-07:00

Haley was a Butterfly Princess for Halloween.

Britton chose not to dress up at all (how is he MY kid?). He didn't want to dress up for the ward party, for school, and he didn't want to go trick or treating at all. He wanted to hand out the candy and tally up how many "customers" we got. Too funny. And so him.

This might have been the cheapest Halloween in history since Haley already had a princess dress and we just bought a few butterfly accessories. Nice. And easy.

But, we had a great time.

Exchange Student

2009-11-16T20:42:00.002-07:00

About a month ago, we had an exchange student from Japan come to stay with us for a week. His name was Shinichi and he is 15. It was a lot of fun for my family. We did a lot of fun things, bowling, went to the cabin, BYU football game, temple square, went to the movies, and then there was a big dinner for all the students the night before they left. We packed a lot in since he was gone to school things all day and we only had him in the evenings. Here are a few bowling pics. It was his first time and he definitely was a natural. He beat all of us by quite a lot.

Good form!

William's 100 Day Party!

2009-10-29T22:01:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago, we got to celebrate William's 100th day old. It's a big celebration day in Korea when a baby turns 100 days old. Enjoy the pictures.

Look at all the yummy food we had! Mijoung is such a good cook.

Playing Catch Up

2009-10-29T21:20:00.008-06:00

I don't know why it's been so hard for me to get around to blogging these days. Here are some pics from a LONG time ago.

THANKSGIVING POINT DINOSAUR MUSEUM w/ Cousins and Grandparents

Dig, Dig, Digging

Anna and Jacob
Reed and Emily
Haley and Stripey
Haley
John and Reed
Chloie
Anna with Grandma in the background
Britton and Anna
Scary Haley
Cute Haley with crazy hair

CHERRY HILL ELEMENTARY CARNIVAL

Haley and Chloie
Haley and Chloie
Britton and Isaac
Britton and Isaac

Attracting Nocturnals

2009-10-13T20:06:00.003-06:00

Britton came in the other day and said, "I wish I was nocturnal."

I just smiled, but I was thinking, "You mean you're not?"

He has never been a good sleeper. He's always been a night owl. He can stay up and up and up. It doesn't matter what we do to try to enforce an early bedtime, he just isn't tired. If he has a sleepover with cousins or friends, he is always the last one asleep. If we're having a late game night, he has to stay up just as late as we do. And he loves the night time. He loves the stars and moon.

He's not the only nocturnal creature around these parts. Several years ago, we had 4 owls living in our big tree in the backyard. They were so cute.

Then, this summer, apparently we had several raccoons living somewhere in our backyard, feasting on our neighbors gardens. We never actually saw them, but our neighbors did and they were able to catch them and get rid of them.

And just the other day, the kids came running in, telling me they found a bat. I didn't really believe them. So I went outside. And, in a crevice of our tree, sure enough, there was a tiny, little bat hanging upside down, sleeping soundly. It was actually quite cute. I went out today to try to take a picture, but it was gone. I don't mind that it's gone since I didn't want my kids getting anywhere near it.

So, what will be our next visitor? A tarantula? A hedgehog? My kid's love Sonic, the hedgehog. Or how about a cute little one of these? Who knows, maybe we'll even have a visit from Lupin one of these full moons.

Whatever it is, chances are, Britton will be up waiting.

His Work Never Ends

2009-09-22T11:00:00.000-06:00

Jason cleaning out his trailor.

He said I could help him, but, being the good wife that I am, I decided to take pictures and blog about it instead.

Sunday Mornings

2009-09-22T06:00:00.000-06:00

Two Sundays ago, Britton got up and quickly got ready for church and then started begging to go to church at about 8:30 am. Our church doesn't start until 11:00, but he was very persistent about wanting to go right then and not waiting until 11:00. He was practically in tears. It was really strange. So, instead of going to church and waiting in the foyer for 3 hours, I decided to take him to the temple grounds. It was the right decision. Once we stepped on the temple grounds, he was happy and peaceful. It was a beautiful day and the flowers were gorgeous.

Love these two so much!

Cheeeeese!

2009-09-21T18:00:00.000-06:00

Haley showing off her new, toothless smile.

Other Weekend Fun

2009-09-20T21:38:00.003-06:00

*Friday night, my mom and I went to see Julia & Julie. We both loved it! It was so fun just to get away and see a good movie with my mom. It's been so long since I've been to a movie and I don't think I've ever been to one alone with my mom. So, it was great.

*Saturday morning, Tessa and I planned our first "Sports Saturday". We are going to get together every Saturday at 8:30 to play sports at Cherry Hill Park. It was a blast. We played football and had so much fun.

*Saturday evening was BYU's (disappointing) first home game of the year. Even though the game didn't turn out the way I would have liked, it was still fun to be back at the stadium. We rode bikes there (which I love). It was good to see all the people who sit by us and just be part of such a big, excited crowd (well, we were all excited at the beginning, at least).

*Sunday Haley gave a talk at church. She was so excited about it. I never really know how she's going to react to things like that. Sometimes she is so shy and just refuses to even practice or do it. But, this time she was just excited. She drew a picture of President Monson all on her own that she wanted to use for the talk and got out her scriptures to find what she wanted to say. And then she did such a great job doing it.

*Sunday evening, I went around and did "Toot" Sunday. I am the personal progress leader in the young women and every couple of weeks I go around to all the girl's houses, "toot" my horn and they come out and sit in the car and tell me about the goals they have done, then they go in and call the next girl and tell her I'm coming so they are ready for the horn. Anyway, it's really fun for me to get some one-on-one time with each girl and see how they are doing. I always bring treats so that it's fun for the girls too. :)

Friday Flight

2009-09-20T21:25:00.003-06:00

Jason was done with work early on Friday, so he picked the kids up after school and we all headed out to the Provo Airport for a scenic ride.

It was Haley's first time ever flying with Jason as the pilot and our first family flight in the new plane.

We flew up over Provo and Orem. We found our house and circled around several times so everyone had a good view of it.

We saw the BYU stadium with the newly painted field for the first home game.

We saw the Provo temple and all the beautiful colors up on the mountain.

I love all the fall colors right now!

It's so fun flying over Utah Lake and it looks so pretty from the sky.

It was a really quick flight, but so much fun. The weather was beautiful and everything was easy to see.

Britton sat in the co-pilot's seat and LOVED that.

Afterward, Haley said it was "so scary" and "too fast", but I know that she secretly loved it because she was also talking about how cool it is that her dad can fly a plane.

I love wearing the headphones and listening to Jason communicate with the tower. I also love taking off and landing.

There's nothing quite like flying!

The Difference Between Boys and Girls

2009-09-15T20:40:00.002-06:00

After school conversations:

Me: Britton, how was your day today?
(after asking at least 3 times, he finally answers)
Britton: Okay

Me: Haley, how was your day today?
Haley: It was awesome (does a little dance and thumbs up), I met my best friend, she was wearing a red shirt and white pants, did you see her?, she has hair the same color as you, but down to here, and did you see the girl with curly hair?, I told my teacher that I lost a tooth and she told the whole class, I wanted to ask my teacher what her favorite color is, but I got a little shy, maybe I will ask her tomorrow, the secret word today was "see" and we got to go outside for recess and I'm so tired because I walked all the way to the playground and I did the zip line and played with my best friend and I didn't finish coloring my book, but I can read it to you and you have to look at this paper my teacher gave me and can we start my homework right now.... and on and on and on and on.

Kayla Update

2009-09-11T17:52:00.002-06:00

(For those of you who don't know, Kayla is Haley's imaginary friend. She joined our family in Feb. 2007 and she's been a very "real" part of our lives.)

So, the other day I had this conversation with Haley.

H: Mom, did you know that Kayla isn't real?

Me: Really?

H: Yeah, I just wanted to do a really funny joke.

And what a funny joke it has been. Maybe she could get into the Guiness Book of World Records for the world's longest joke. We've been laughing about Kayla's antics for almost 3 years.

Another One from Haley

2009-09-09T11:28:00.002-06:00

The other day, Haley came in and whispered into my ear, "Mom, I don't want to be so anoxious (obnoxious) and so hilarious anymore. Or funny."

I just laughed out loud. Just for the record, I've never called her obnoxious, I don't even know think she knows what it means, but I do call her hilarious all the time.

2009-09-08T16:23:00.002-06:00

This morning Haley came up to me and said, "I wish 'hate' was never invented."

Pretty profound for a 5 year old.

Late Nights

2009-09-04T06:54:00.002-06:00

Man, I need to go to bed earlier. But, last night, my kids weren't tired. And even though I was trying to be firm and MAKE them go to bed, I ended up laying there with them longer than I had planned, telling stories of my high school days with the Silver Bullet and how we had to start it with the "pen trick". Which somehow led to me telling them that Mark used to have a name for his belly button. Which led to fits of laughter. Then when I told him what he used to call it (Vrosher), there was more laughter. Britton got the hiccups from laughing so hard. Then Haley wanted to hear it over and over again so we could laugh some more. Then she wanted to rename all her dolls funny things, so we laid there, in the bottom bunk, thinking of the funniest names possible. More laughter. And then I told them how Biz and I had names for all our pairs of shoes--Rainbow, Guntar, Pretty Blue Shoes, etc. It was getting late, so they asked me to sing to them. They requested songs in French. "Souviens-toi" is Britton's favorite. I've sung it to him since he was a newborn. And then right as they were both almost drifting off to sleep, Haley reached in and pulled out her first tooth! (which reminds me, the Tooth Fairy better go take care of her duties before Haley wakes up). I didn't even know she had a loose tooth. I don't think it was even loose. Afterwards, she told me she had been praying that she could lose a tooth soon. Cute. Then there were all the Tooth Fairy questions. How does she get in the house? What does she do with all the teeth? Why does she want people's teeth? And on and on. It was a while before we could actually go to bed.

So, this morning I am tired, but I wouldn't trade last night for all the sleep in the world.

Kindergarten

2009-09-03T17:11:00.004-06:00

Haley started kindergarten a week ago. I had been pretty worried about it even though she was only excited because she tends to be a bit clingy to me and she's really shy. I really didn't know how she was going to be. At her assessment, she was great and went with the teacher and answered all the questions. She wasn't overly talkative, but she wasn't scared or clingy either. But, then at the open house where she got to meet her teacher, she would not let go of me. She hid behind me whenever anyone talked to her. This was the day before school, so I was a bit nervous.

But, on the actual first day, she did great. She was so excited. She walked right in, found her nametag, and sat down. She smiled and waved and blew kisses, but there were no tears or chasing after me or trying to make me stay. I was so relieved.

When I picked her up, she ran to me and told me how much fun she had and she even did a little happy dance. It was adorable. It's so comforting knowing that your kids are happy when they have to be away from you.

The second day of school she tried telling me she was sick which I thought was quite hilarious. I just laughed and we went to school anyway. And she did great with the drop off and loved school again. I'm so grateful to her teacher for making it a fun and interesting place to be. Everyday she has been great and she's already learning so much and making friends. I get to help out every Tuesday. I went this week and it was so fun just seeing her interact with everyone. I'm so proud of my big kindergarten girl!

First day pictures:

Quote

2009-08-26T18:36:00.002-06:00

Here is a quote from a book I just recently read:

"But as of today, I have to admit it: I have a crush on science.

Can you love a thought? Can you love a concept?

Not to be too dramatic, but when Ms. Shepherd explained that about the flu shot and about us all being freaks of nature, it was like something reached inside of my chest and yanked on my soul. Like somebody opened up my head and shouted down into my brain, "Do you get it? Mena, are you you listening?"

It's just that it all makes sense. In the same way that God makes sense to me sometimes and I really think I can feel Him. I can see the order to things, His purpose behind them. I wish I felt that way more often--about God, I mean--but whenever I do, it's like someone has pumped up my heart with helium, and I can barely keep from floating off into space."
Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature Brande, Robin

I just loved this passage. Maybe because I have a crush on science too. And there are thoughts and concepts that I just love, that click inside my heart and mind, that speak to my soul. In the same way that God does. It just made me think of the brief moments in my life where everything in the universe seems to make sense. I love those moments.

Britton's First Day of School

2009-08-21T11:50:00.001-06:00

2009-08-19T08:13:00.002-06:00

Last day of summer vacation.
Wow, that snuck up on me.
I thought I'd be ready for the kids to go back to school,
but I'm not.

Lake Powell

2009-08-11T07:10:00.006-06:00

Lake Powell was so much fun! We went down with most of Jason's family. The kids LOVE playing in the sand and water. Britton tried many things for the first time: waverunning, four wheeling, tubing behind the boat, cliff jumping. He had a blast. Haley also did waverunning and learned how to float with a life jacket. She was a bit more timid, but by the end she was more comfortable with everything and she's already talking about the next time we go and everything she's going to do. I hope this becomes an annual tradition for our family.

Pioneer Day Weekend

2009-08-05T08:13:00.004-06:00

I started a new tradition this year with the kiddos. We are going to spend Pioneer Day up at the cabin every year. We did all the traditional pioneer things like cooked over a fire, didn't change our clothes for several days, and walked and walked and walked and walked.

I had been wanting to go up to the cabin for longer than an over night stay and this was finally my chance. The kids and I were there all day Thursday, Friday, and most of Saturday. Friday afternoon, Jason's parents brought up Hayden, Corbin, and Landon and they stayed for dinner. It was perfect timing because it was right about that time that they were starting to get a bit antsy for entertainment other than me. Jason came up a few hours after them and then right as they were leaving, the Kammerman's, sans Patricia and baby twins, arrived.

It was so much fun just being up there away from all the distractions of home. My kids are so at home in the mountains. I love watching them play together. And it's much easier for me to focus on them when I am away from the distractions of home too.

The cabin

In the (soon-to-be) fort

Britton!

Haley!

Haley playing cowboy

Dinner--gourmet mac n cheese cooked over the fire (everything tastes better cooked over the fire)

On our Friday morning hike, notice the cute Y necklaces that Britton designed and made

Being goofy

Our hemp necklace making supplies. I'm pretty sure that making hemp necklaces was a favorite hobby of the pioneers.

The Kammerman crew

Wildflowers

One thing that I don't want to forget about this trip. At one point when it was just the three of us, Haley grabbed a stick and started pretending like it was a microphone. She said that she was Britton's sister and that she loved him very much. Anyway, right after that, Britton grabbed the stick microphone and said, "Did everyone hear that? That's my sister Haley. She is so sweet. Life just wouldn't be the same without her." It was just the cutest thing I've ever heard. I love my kids so much.

31 Flavors

2009-08-03T15:18:00.003-06:00

Last week I realized that Haley had never been to Baskin Robbins. What? We quickly remedied that even though she was already in her pajamas and ready for bed.

Mountain Monday a Few Weeks Ago

2009-07-29T20:05:00.004-06:00

We really have been keeping up on our Mountain Mondays, but I haven't been good about posting about them. I think our 2nd one I took pics on my cell phone and I don't know how to get them off so I just haven't posted for a while. So, the pics from Bridal Veil Falls will have to wait until I figure that out.
A while ago, we went up to Sundance and it was just gorgeous. Haley didn't want to take the ski lift up so we just walked around and took pictures. It was still really fun.

Weekly Roundup

2009-07-25T19:23:00.002-06:00

This has been such a fun week. Last week I was gone to Girl's Camp all week which was so much fun, but there's nothing like being back with the family. My kids had a blast with Jason all week though. But, apparently, I need to teach Jason how to do laundry because Britton had to wear Haley's underwear one day and then he got smart and wore his swimming suit the next. Poor kid. :)

Anyway, here's a random list of some of the things we did this week and I'll post some pictures later.

*cleaned and rearranged and reorganized the kitchen and living room
*went bowling at Fat Cats for free (kids bowl free all summer--woohoo!)
*found out there are raccoons living in our backyard (and our nice neighbors set traps, caught them, and took them away--woohoo!)
*got in my first accident backing up into someone in a parking lot (boo!)
*watched the movie Earth
*went to 7 peaks
*went to the library
*spent 3 days at our cabin, the first day and a half it was just me and the kids. They LOVE being up there (and so do I). It's so relaxing and beautiful.
*went to see Singin in the Rain at the Hale Theater with Jason. I sure don't go to plays often enough, I love them. And I found myself saying all the lines in my head throughout the whole play. Definitely one of my favorites.

Haley

2009-07-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

I love the way little girls think.

The other day, I was playing with Haley and I was pretending that I was eating her. I would say, "I'm going to eat your eyes, you don't need your eyes, do you?" Then she would reply, "I need them so that I can see!" Anyway, I went through all kinds of body parts and she said the expected answer as to why she would need that part. When I said I was going to eat her stomach though, she said, "I need my stomach so that I can get a baby in there!" It made me smile. Then when I said that I would eat her big toe, she said, "I need my big toe to take care of the little toes." Too cute.

More Spring Pictures

2009-07-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

Hayden, Britton, Gabe. (both of these boys lived in our basement at different times)

Britton's basketball class--he loved going to this

Haley singing along to her "How to be a princess" dvd. I love how she has all her animals lined up watching her.

Chloie and Haley at the Bean Museum play room. Every Wednesday at 11 they have a storytime there about some different kind of animal. It's really fun.

Haley doing a puppet show at our ward play group.

Thankful

2009-07-09T06:00:00.000-06:00

A while ago, I walked into the kitchen and Haley had her scriptures out with a notebook and pen. She was pretending to read and then she would write down things about it.

With all my bad habits that my kids pick up, it's comforting to know that they are picking up on some good ones too.

Britton's 7th Birthday--April 19

2009-07-08T15:10:00.003-06:00

Britton's Family Party at Nielsen's Grove Park

Britton's Friend Party at Chuck E. Cheese

Isaac, Stephen, Britton, Derek, Ethan, and Haley in the back

Spring Break 2009

2009-07-08T14:54:00.004-06:00

I know it's the middle of summer, but as I was looking through photos, I realized that I never documented a lot of our spring. So, here are some pics from Spring Break.

Our first day of spring break, we went up to Salt Lake to visit the Hincks in the morning. Then we took Bailey with us to meet up with Patricia and kids and Rachel and her kids. We intended on going to the zoo, but realized that EVERYONE else in the whole valley was already there, so we played at Liberty Park then at Gardener Village.

Almost the whole gang

Jacob, Emily, Hyrum

Haley and Bailey

Britton, Haley, and Bailey went on the pony rides at Gardener Village. It was quite the adventure. They all said they wanted to go, but when it came time, only Britton dared to get on and go for the ride. So, we watched as he did it. Then, both girls decided they wanted to do it, but only if I would hold onto them and walk around the whole time. So, we made them do two more rides, just so that I could hold them. We were the only ones there, so it wasn't a big deal, but it was still amusing that it took 3 separate rides when they could have all gone at the same time.

These next pics are from the Bean Museum.

I see a slight resemblence between the monkey and my kids. :)

Love this girl!

I bought some canvases for the kids to do some paintings. I really loved how they turned out. I'll have to take some pictures of their final products.

This was one thing we didn't plan on for spring break--SNOW! And we got lots of it! Now that it's July, it's hard to remember all the snow.

Bowling

2009-07-08T14:22:00.003-06:00

I just thought I would post about this in case there are people who don't know about it. Fat Cats is letting kids bowl for free all summer long. All you have to do is go to their website and sign up. Then your kids can bowl two games every single day for the summer (except weekends). My kids love to bowl so I'm so happy about this. You can also buy a family pass for $29.95 I think and then up to 4 adults can bowl the two games along with the kids all summer long. It's quite a good deal.

Summer Update

2009-07-08T10:17:00.002-06:00

I have so many pictures that I need to get off of my camera. This summer has already been so much fun. There have been quite a few unexpected things added to our schedule, but I'm happy to say that we have been able to be consistent with the things that I wanted to do each week. Sometimes Mountain Monday turns into Mountain Thursday, but that's okay. We still have been able to go hiking once a week and enjoy the beautiful mountains. And we've also been able to go swimming once a week or more. And I'm really amazed at how consistent we've been on doing school each morning. We've done it each day all summer. And it's so much fun for me.

At the beginning of the summer, we started doing outings with our kids on Saturdays. Jason will take one child and I will take the other one and we do something special to get some one-on-one time. It's been really fun. The first one, I took Haley to the dance concert that I already wrote about and Jason took Britton camping. The next week, I took Britton Nickelcade and Haley and Jason went to get ice cream. The one after that, I took Haley to a park and Jason took Britton to play basketball. Last Saturday was the 4th of July so we all played together all day. Anyway, it's been really fun. I'm used to getting alone time with Haley so that just feels like everyday, but it's really good for the kids to get to spend time with Jason by themselves. Sometimes, it's only an hour or less, but we try to make it feel like something special.