May

I have been SUPER BUSY at work.  Even though the job is cake...the sleep factor is killing me.  I am cutting down to 1 day a week and I am very thankful that they are working with me!  It is also impossible to potty train 2 two year olds when you are asleep during the day 3-4 days per week.  I whipped this cute cross stitch up in order to stay awake.

My sisters and I went to Logan and created some pretty freaking adorable fairy gardens.  I need a bigger planter for next years!!

One morning while Caleb was in school, I took the other 4 with me to pick out my flowers for the year.  It was an adventure to say the least.  They were good kids.  In this picture I was letting them wander while I was searching for something and they found a random wagon and just started loading it up.  I didn't stop them.  It was to cute.

Lexi has started to enjoy watching movies.  Finding Nemo is one of her favorites.  This night I introduced her to Sleeping Beauty.  She was glued to my lap - and I loved it.

One morning Casey loaded up his bike and I loaded up the jogging stroller and we headed to Mantua.  Casey biked around the reservoir twice and I walked it once.  These little people just wanted out of the stroller so badly!  I could have trimmed 30-45 minutes off of my walk if I wouldn't have let them wander.  They were cuties for sure!

This was a sad moment for me.  Taylor lost her first tooth!!  Rylee was so jealous.  She was cracking me up.  She said I hurt her feeling because Taylor got a new monster pillow and she didn't get one!  It was Taylor's turn to be in the spotlight though.  I assisted in getting her tooth pulled out - and once the tears stopped, she was beyond excited for the tooth fairy to come.  She's only 5!!  I don't think that Caleb lost his first tooth until he was 7.

Caleb had a field trip to the OTT Planetarium at Weber State University.  I didn't even know they had a planetarium.  It was an interesting trip.  My neighbor, Heidi, also was a chaperone.  It was nice to know another adult there!  I knew another adult to - but that situation was just awkward!

Caleb also participated in his first pinewood derby.  It was a dramatic evening.  His car was to heavy...Casey ran home to fix it and Caleb thought he wasn't going to be able to race and was in tears.  Casey came back after drilling it out and it was still too heavy :(  Caleb still got to participate, and won his races.  He was excited! 

My mom's cat had kittens.  We went to visit 3 weeks in a row.  They are so cute!!

These cuties were sharing so sweetly one day - so I did some cleaning up.  Bad call.....

I came back to this on my wall!

These 3.  I think that Alexa is Taylor & Rylee's long lost triplet.  She wants to be with them and doing whatever they are doing all of the time.

We were supposed have a little cook out one night with Casey's family, but the weather didn't cooperate.  Everyone ended up at our house and it was nice to get together.  I had campfire cones all ready to go, but they ended up being 'on the grill cones' instead.

Casey took Luke & Alexa on their first bike ride.  Alexa cried and wanted to come home.  Luke liked it better than his sister.  And yes - he is wearing a purple jacket.  He has robots on his jammies though, so it's ok!

This picture is disgusting - but we had applesauce with our dinner, and they found the tops of the applesauce on top of the trash and licked them off.  It was such a George Costanza moment that I had to get the camera.

Caleb entered a contest at the bird refuge.  Every Elementary school in the area is invited to participate.  He didn't win, but his drawing was still awesome!  I think that only 2 people in his school were selected.

These 2 had their spring dance recital.  They are so cute!  They get a little bashful up on stage.  I am wondering if they would like to take singing lessons instead next year.  I wish that they could just do everything!!!!  But - that would require a whole lot of moo-lah.

This girl.  I bet 5 nights a week she ends up sleeping in our bed.  She's a persistent little gal.  Cherish the moments, right?  Not your sleep?

Taylor has become quite the smarty pants!!  I love this drawing that she made for me one day.

Spring Soccer

THIS BOY!!  He learned so much this soccer season!  It is only the 2nd time I have signed him up to play soccer, and he was ready.  He was emotionally invested (as you can see by the top right picture) and he learned his position well & even took a few hits to the gut.  I was one proud mom!

He had a great coach this year!  They really do make all of the difference.

Casey works on weekends, so that meant I got to wrestle with the other 4 kids while Caleb played.  Thankfully we made some new friends and Grandma & Grandpa helped a couple of times too.  I love the picture of Caleb & Grandpa.  Caleb had just taken a big hit to his stomach and was crying pretty hard...Grandpa has a way of talking him down.  Shorty after he had quit crying, another boy hurt his foot and Caleb had to run in for him.  It was a good teaching moment about teamwork!

 These 4 girls were fast friends.  Luke didn't venture to far from me...but I don't mind.  He is easier to watch that way and he will be done with me before I know it. :(

Family Pictures

Cuteness documented.

Every other year my sisters and I gather up all of the adorable children and get a picture for our mom for Mother's day.  I love that Griffy is the oldest - and holding little Jack Jack, the youngest.

We convinced Jordon & Dylan to join us this year and got my mom an updated sibling picture.  It is interesting to me that we don't really look related.  Some siblings you can just tell that they belong together, but we are each pretty unique!

I love/hate that Griffy poo & Blakie are taller than Angela.  It's weird.

Ashley picked out our picture colors - she is one smart cookie.  We all looked amazing.

LOVE

April

It was time to put the Easter eggs away one afternoon, so Taylor, Rylee & I sat on the kitchen floor and opened all the eggs and put the candy in a bowl and the eggs in a bag for next year.  When we were all finished Rylee gave me a huge hug.  Taylor said, "I like hugs from my dad"  Rylee said, "I just love hugs from both of my grown ups."  How adorable is that?!

Taylor said to me the other day, "When I grow up I want to be a mom that drives, cooks and plays the piano."  She is my little mini me.  Rylee piped up, "I don't want to be a mom!"  I asked her why not and she replied, "BECAUSE!!  I don't ever want to be pregnant!"

All of the girls got garden gloves in their Easter baskets.  Rylee is beyond excited to use hers!

Caleb made a cute Easter basket at school.  He looks like such a BOY in this picture!

His school work is one of my very favorite things.

I know it wasn't nice...but I played a little trick on the kids for April Fool's day.  They didn't like it.

 For Spring Break my mom had a room in St. George that no one was able to use - so we were going to pack up and head for some sunshine for a couple of days.  We didn't' have anything big planned...pool time, Children's museum, splash pad - just wanted to get a way for a minute.  I got everyone packed, alarm set for 5 AM and around 1 am I started throwing up.  1:30, Caleb started throwing up.  At one point he was barely able to finish and I would start again.  2:30, Taylor was throwing up.  Needless to say - we didn't go to St. George.  Eventually Luke threw up once, and a couple of days later Casey had it bad. 

 WalMart got new carts.  They are fantastic.  Simple pleasures :)

Guess what got thrown in the garbage after this moment?  Can you guess?  It wasn't the two year olds.

One afternoon a handy man showed up.  Cutest one that I have EVER seen!

We splurged!  I have been saving like a mad woman for quite a while to get a new fridge.  Well - I changed my mind and we got a table that we can all fit at instead.  A new table meant new paint also.  (makes sense to me!)  We went from sage green to a pretty blue!  It's nice to all eat together.  I didn't realize what we were missing I guess.  It always nice to make a bigger purchase with no guilt.  Debt is so scary!

One Sunday afternoon (after a week of everyone puking) I took the kids to the Ogden river walkway.  We needed fresh air.  This picture just captures all of their personalities.  And yes - Luke is crying because I wouldn't' let him come stand by me.

The view from behind is pretty adorable.

You didn't think I would do a monthly post without sleeping little pictures did you?

These 2 are big enough for cereal.  And they love it.  Lexi asks for cereal every single morning.  She's one smart cookie.  She drinks it all down.

I have some good kids.  We put food in front of these two and they both want to dig in, but Casey tells them to wait for the prayer.  And 99% of the time they wait.  And then they close their eyes so tight for the prayer.  I don't shut my eyes when we pray anymore because I just want to look at them instead.

These 2 also hide when it is time for bedtime.  Partners in crime for sure.

Blake was watching movies with Caleb one night while I was a bunco and I came home to this note on the counter.

These ladies got to go see some calves on a field trip for pre-school!

My Caleb Bo Baleb brought me some lilacs one day after school.  He didn't break the branch - he found it on the sidewalk like this.  I love that it isn't' one little stick with lilacs at the end, but the whole freaking branch.  Go big or go home right?

Babies in a box.  They are still babies, right?