Double Celebration

We had a wonderful long weekend in the cold of Panguitch. Grandma and Grandpa's house was packed as always with kids running every which way. The kids were in heaven with so many playmates. All us adults were even able to sneak away for dinner without kids. We hit the Cowboy Smokehouse for some delish food and great entertainment (my sis-in-law Becky was singing).
Saturday, we made the day all about Harmon. His 2nd Birthday was just a few days away so we celebrated early so we could play with his toys. Becky made some bread shaped and colored like Easter eggs that the kids got to decorate with crazy sliced ham and colored mayo. It was so cute! I made some cupcakes and the kids made messes, everyone was thrilled! Harmon had a blast opening presents and sharing with his cousins. He got a new Tee and bat, a shape train, and a bubble machine. I can't believe he is two already, he has grown up really fast. Harm is such a handful and into everything. He is REALLY good at being 2! I couldn't imagine life without him though, he makes us laugh everyday. He is really starting to talk and knows his eyes are "Baby Blue" he also has "PWEEESE" down. Life is never boring with him around!
Sunday we celebrated Easter with a little egg hunt and baskets. All the cousins were there and everyone got PLENTY of treats! Grandpa even donated his change to the cause and between my 3 kids we had $12.45. I think we'll call it our Slurpee fund for after t-ball games :) We did our best to listen to conference, but with so many kids hopped up on sugar I didn't really get much out of it, so I am REALLY excited to get my Ensign! We rushed home that afternoon to watch opening day for the Red Sox at Fenway. The Red Sox winning was the perfect ending to a very fun weekend. There are pictures to come. Our camera is on the fritz, so hopefully my parents will send some soon. I hope everyone else enjoyed the holiday as well!

"The FEVER"

Okay, so I have some severe "Spring Fever!" The weather starts to warm up and I feel like it's new year's again and start making lists of things I want to do . . . .

• plant a garden (I have a black thumb)
• go shopping
• purge lots of "stuff"
• have a garage sale
• get a hair cut
• redecorate
• plan a vacation
• play at the park
• watch baseball
• ride my bike (that would be funny!)
• take pictures (camera's broken)
• date my husband
• run (working on it, but not going so well)
• buy new sunglasses & flip flops
• get a tan

The only problem with this list is having the time, money, and energy to accomplish any of it. I'm sure the "fever" will be under control soon--since spring only lasts about a week here. Summer will be here soon.

The Run

So last week I attempted my first 5K. I didn't do as well as I had wanted, but I'm not sure how well I wanted to do. I didn't really have any expectations except that I didn't want to die :) I envy all you out there that actually enjoy running. I keep trying to get to that point, but I really don't enjoy it. I did however enjoy the feeling of accomplishment at the end and I really would like to do it again. I ran with my neighbor Robyn, but she was a little quicker than me so I tried to push my self. At about the halfway mark a sweet lady came up from behind and gave me some words of encouragement. She was running about as fast as I was walking, but she said it was her 8th race and just reassured me how good it would feel at the end. She really lifted my spirits and I was able to run almost the rest of the way. I wanted to find her afterwards and thank her for her encouragement, but I couldn't find her. I probably would have walked the rest of the way if it weren't for her. She was my little race angel :) I look forward to doing another race and hopefully improving on my time a little. At least I have a goal now.

Trouble!

Oh boy are we in trouble. Our little girl turns 6 and we realized she's a little diva. She's a little social butterfly with a TON of friends. I'm so happy for that, but boy are we in for it when she becomes a teenager. We did a little photo shoot today and she knew just what to do for the camera.

You can't see them very well, but one of Haley's favorite gifts for her birthday was getting her nails done by her Aunt Becky. The first 3 days all I heard was "Don't you just LUUUVE my nails?!?!" Oh and she was tapping them on everything! I LUUUVE this little girl!

The Big Six

Our sweet little Haley turned six yesterday. I can't believe she is growing up so fast. We had a busy and fun day to celebrate. She and Hunter had T-ball practice for a couple of hours in the morning. I think that is exactly what she would want to do on her birthday. She LOVES sports especially when her Dad and Brother are involved. After practice she got her first gift--a new bike. She wasn't really expecting it, but was really excited. We braved the rain and rode for a little while, it was a little big for her, but she'll grow right into it. Hunter was her buddy all day and was wishing her a Happy Birthday every 10 minutes. I am so glad they are such good friends. The big party happened Saturday night. She had a hard time narrowing down who she wanted to invite, so before we knew it we had 20 kids at our house for a fun movie night. Haley had a hard time deciding what she wanted to do for her party. First it was a sleepover, but I threw that idea out quick--to young! So we decided a PJ party would work. She insisted they watch a movie and pig out, so that's what we did. Pizza, Popcorn, and cupcakes. In the end our backyard looked like a movie theatre. They watched Disney Pixar shorts and cuddled with pillows and blankets. It was a little cold and rainy, but the kids didn't seem to mind. It was fun, but I don't think we'll ever do a party that big again! We wouldn't have survived it without our friends Mike and Juanita. They saved the day by helping with the kids and food!

Even though Mom and Dad were exhausted by the end of the day, it was well worth it! Haley was so excited and thankful for everything. I want to cry when I think she is 6 years old already. We are so lucky to have her in our family and feel her sweet spirit everyday! Happy Birthday Haley!

Long Weekend

We just got back from a long weekend in Panguitch. It was so nice to get out of town, we haven't been anywhere since before Christmas and a weekend away was long overdue! On the way up we stopped in Cedar City and celebrated my Dad's 60th birthday with him. It worked out that all 5 of his kids could be there and we even managed to ditch all of the Grandkids and enjoy a meal together. It was a ton of fun to visit with all my brothers and wives! I don't think it has ever happened that we could all get together without kids for a nice dinner. We ate at Rusty's and it was delicious as usual!Here's my Dad and his Brother Jed.Hayden did get to join us for dinner, but he's still easy to have around. Cam and Jessica had fun playing with him (they were teased all thru dinner that they needed to make an announcement)Okay, my flash was going a bit crazy, but Marc insisted on making a face for every picture, so this is how we will remember him :)We spent the next few days trying to stay warm in Panguitch, the kids had fun in the snow. I enjoyed it from the inside. It was FREEZING! It snowed the first 2 days we were there. We went sledding Monday morning, but it was to cold to even get the camera out. Harmon loved going down the hill, but was mad as soon as he got to the bottom. It was fun.

Konner & Haley

Goofy Hunter

Haley is such a poser--notice the huge pile of snow they were climbing on.

Sunday Night we had cake to celebrate Grandpa and Haley's birthday. They both had fun blowing out the candles. Grandpa didn't even mind having pink frosting :)

Michael headed to Salt Lake with my brothers for a Jazz game and I got some quality time with my Mom. It was such a nice weekend and we weren't quite ready for it to end. We made the trip home a long one and went miniature golfing in St. George. I think we'll enjoy things like that when the kids get a little older, but it was still fun. Haley even got a hole in one! We can't wait for our next trip!

How did this happen!

I swear I just blinked and realized that my baby is 6 months old. He is growing up WAY to fast! I thank Heavenly Father every day for this cute little guy! Hayden is by far my happiest baby. All you have to do is look at him and you'll get a huge grin! To me 6 months is such a big milestone because in another 6 months he'll be walking and officially be a toddler instead of a baby. I'm good with him staying a baby for as long as possible though. As this is my journal of sorts I need a record of fun facts that I need to remember . . .

• He now has 2 teeth
• He LOVES his brothers and sister
• He likes to suck on his toes
• Loves the bathtub
• Loves to be naked
• Sleeps great in the car seat
• He's a very messy eater
• Hates green beans
• LOVES Bananas
• He is very ticklish! Arms, chin, belly, legs anywhere makes him giggle.
• Takes Long Naps
• Still likes to wake up every 3 hours at night for cuddles, but goes right back to sleep

You MUST agree--Hayden is tooo cute for words!

36 Strong

Yesterday was the anniversary of two very special people. My Mom and Dad celebrated 36 years together. They were married in the Logan Temple and are the perfect example of a happy marriage. I'm sure it's not always been easy, but they sure make it look that way. My parents are such a great example of two people who give all they have to each other and their children. They are both completely selfless and never put themselves first. There are several things that have come from their marriage such as . . .

• 5 kids (1 wonderful girl and 4 boys)


• 13 Grandkids (more to come I'm sure)


• 5 returned missionaries


• 5 Temple marriages


• Several pets (Lucky, Max, Sandy, Mini-to name a few)


• 5 kids in-law (we all chose some amazing spouses!)


• a farm that requires a LOT of work


• 6 towns lived in (Logan, CA, West Jordan, Cedar City, Richfield, and Panguitch)


• Countless hours of service


• A billion church callings--all of which were magnified

I could go on all day about how much my parents have accomplished, but it still would do them justice. Thanks Mom and Dad for your great example of how a marriage should be and for raising me the way you did. Happy Anniversary.