McKendrick Family

Summer time!

2011-07-07T12:11:00.001-07:00

I thought when both my kids went to school this past year I would have all the time in the world. I spent a lot of it burning up the road between the two schools drop off and pick up times, 1/2 days, early release days, etc. It was so nice though! I got to go grocery shopping BY MYSELF, I started running in March (my plan is to make it to the Gate River Run next year), and I volunteered on the PTA and made some good friends. Here we are and it's summer again! I feel like when the summer hits it's way more intense for me than the school year. We go to the pool, the beach, the local water park and movies. This summer the kids started swim team and art classes too. What happened to just blissfully playing in the backyard?
Our ward recently split and we were reassigned to a new ward, The Atlantic Beach Ward. Guess what??? I am not in primary anymore. I have served in primary for about 15 years (across three states) so it was a total shock to me that I was put in as the Relief Society secretary (women's organization) and the visiting teaching coordinator. My summer has been BUSY trying to help get the Relief Society organized. I was super sad about leaving primary, I would still prefer to be there, but it has come more naturally to me than I thought it would to work with the women. It's an exciting time for us, starting a new ward in Jacksonville.
We planted our first garden this year which has been fun. We haven't had one since UT. A little harder here to grow but we got lots of tomatoes and hot peppers. The birds ate the strawberries, the cucumbers didn't grow, our watermelons are still growing.

Kai's Baptism

2011-01-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

We were fortunate enough to be able to baptize Kai in Pendleton when we were there over Christmas. He turned 8 in November, but we decided to wait so my whole family could be there. All the kids participated in the program. Matt put together an awesome DVD of Kai's life that we showed while they were getting ready. We are proud of Kai for the decision he made to be baptized. He's a good boy who tries to do his best. I am so thankful we were able to share this day with so many loved ones. Thank you mom, Bill, Jenny, Jaime&Jim, Jan&Lance, Lauri, Aunt Les and all the cousins for making this a special, memorable day for Kai.

Red Neck sledding

2011-01-07T08:16:00.001-08:00

Two days after Christmas we all went up sledding in Meacham (for those of you who know where that is at). It was the PERFECT sledding day, snow falling, lots of snow on the ground, fire going. My kids were in heaven. Jenny brought sleds from Utah and Jan brought her sleds up, but dang, you'll never guess what we found when we got up there... the bed liner of a truck. Only in Pendleton! The kids were more than happy to hop on in and go for a ride. It didn't go as fast as they had hoped it would though.

"TRADITION, TRADITION"

2011-01-06T10:37:00.000-08:00

As I have read some of your blogs I have enjoyed seeing what other people's Christmas traditions are. I guess the biggest tradition for me is GOING HOME every year for Christmas. In 37 years I have only not been there on Christmas morning 2 times. Once I went to Oregon in December but had to come home early because Matt had a business trip the day after Christmas. The other time I had just gone for Round Up in September and couldn't turn around and go back for Christmas. Going to grandma's IS Christmas for my kids. Another tradition, we ALWAYS make gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve day (which Jenny had the ingenious idea to hot glue together this year), get Papa Murphys for dinner and have the children act out the nativity. Oh yah, the treats. We have LOADS of treats that get made on Christmas Eve day and they are fair game once Christmas Eve hits. We even let the kids get up and eat whatever they want on Christmas morning. I have noticed it's us grown up girls and the kids who eat the treats mostly. I don't see the husbands hovering over the treat plates. However, I did manage to catch Bill in the treats this year. Everybody congregates at my mom's about 6:30 a.m. and the present opening frenzy begins. After that, BREAKFAST, and no we don't cook. We go OUT to breakfast in our Christmas pj's. Our family totally fills a banquet room.
I am so thankful for a husband who is game to make this excruciating trip each year, parents who put up with our lengthy stay, siblings who loan us cars so we don't have to rent them, everyone for transporting us to and from the airports. It takes a major effort to pull this trip off each year.

The Best Christmas Ever

2011-01-05T10:33:00.000-08:00

I think I would have to say this was one of the best Christmas' we have ever had. One of the biggest reasons was almost everyone in our family was there. It has been about 8 years since we were all together. My step-brother is serving in Iraq so he and his kids were not there. We had an uneventful flight to and from Oregon this year and help on both ends. Matt's dad took us to the airport and helped us unload at this end and Jaime was there on the other end to help us. When it was time to leave Kai SOBBED. He really loves his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents and we don't get to see them often enough. When I asked him what the best part of the trip was he repeatedly answered, "FAMILY".
I took tons and tons of pictures but will pick some of my favorites to post over the next little while (it has taken me forever to do the red eye with all the kids involved in all the pictures).
We woke up to snow the first morning we were there so the kids enjoyed a fun trip sledding (we took another trip in the mountains after Christmas).

"I like my birthdays"

2010-12-12T04:31:00.000-08:00

"I like my birthdays every one. Each brings a greater joy to me. But I can' wait until I'm 8 for then I'll be baptized you see..."
For those of you who don't know this song, it's a song the kids sing in primary about baptism. Kai turned 8 in November and will be able to be baptized this year. We are waiting until we go to Oregon so my family can all be a part of this very special occasion. We live so far away and have not lived close to my family since the kids were born, so it's rare they get to share in these moments with us. My sisters, Jaime and Jan, were able to be here with us when Kaden was blessed which was cool.
Kai started scouts in November which he has been looking forward to for a long time. We are proud of him and how well he is doing in school this year. He tries hard to do his best. Kai is very social, he makes friends easily. He is a smart boy and likes to spend his time building legos, playing his Dsi or reading his Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.
I actually let him have his first friend party at the house this year (I know, brave of me). He had a few close friends spend the night. I don't even have proof of this event because all my pictures from this fall (Halloween, fall festivals, Kai's b.day and the first field trip I chaperoned) were all erased.

My little turkeys

2010-11-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have been buying holiday pajamas for the kids since before they were born and I have NEVER seen Thanksgiving pajamas before this year. I happened to walk into gymboree one morning and found the last two pair (maybe the only two pair) in the right sizes so I snatched them up for the boys. Matt informed me Kai is getting a little too old for the "cute" pajamas, but how could I resist when this could be a once in a lifetime thing? AND you were waiting for this.... yes, they were on SALE, only $10 a pair. I admit that's a little steep for what I'd normally pay for their pajamas but dang, they are gymboree and brand new (not from a thrift store or garage sale). I think they look cute!

Curious George

2010-10-20T09:49:00.001-07:00

Kai's teacher asked me to decorate a pumpkin for their class for the school's literacy night last night. I am always willing to help with whatever the kids' teachers need so I quickly agreed to do it. Like I have a creative/artistic bone in my body! Just a quick bit of history, never was able to draw a straight line with a ruler in elementary school, and the art class I took in college, NOT my idea of a good time. Talk about torture. SO thankfully I have a creative/artistic husband (although he won't admit it) who happily took on the task. I think he did a pretty good job! He did "Curious George takes a job". Our kids love Curious George and we have had our collection of Curious George stories since before they were born.

Freedom

2010-10-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

This school year marks a new chapter in my life. Both boys went to school this fall. Kaden went to Pre K and Kai's in second grade. Kaden goes for 3 hours every morning. We have to rush out of the house every morning and I spend a lot of time on the road transporting them to and from school (they go to different schools), but it's so worth it. I can finally go to the grocery store alone, have a thought to myself, come home to QUIET house, clean something and have it stay clean temporarily. A lot of times I don't even come home though until after I pick up Kaden. It's just so nice to go shopping without needing to take someone to the bathroom, leave because someone is bored, entertain someone in the cart... Don't get me wrong, I love my kids. Eight years ago I quit a wonderful job with the State of Utah and moved from a place loved dearly so I could stay home when Kai was born, but DANG it's nice to have some time for myself again. I got my first massage this fall. It has totally helped with my back pain (I wasn't so sure at first but I've had a relatively pain free month). Both kids are happy and doing well in school. I signed up to help with the PTA this year and offered to help in Kai's class. I don't want to schedule up too much of my free time though. :) The first day of school was fun, Matt took Kaden, I took Kai and then we met for breakfast. This might have to become a yearly tradition on the first day of school.

"Faith is like a little seed..."

2010-09-30T11:32:00.001-07:00

Matt has been begging me to post this for a couple months now. I don't know what my problem is, I think I ran out of steam for keeping the blog up. The summer came and went and I was exhausted from trying to keep the kids busy and entertained. Then school started and I got a sweet taste of freedom, something I haven't experienced in 8 years.
Anyway, in primary (church) the chorister taught the kids a song called "Faith" and one of the lines says, "faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow". She brought a seed she had planted in a cup that had sprouted to show the kids. Kaden was intrigued by this, and "Faith" quickly became his favorite song (which he often sings at the top of his lungs). We went to a ward social this summer and someone brought watermelon that had ginormous seeds. Kaden carefully dug his out and placed them in a cup. His intent was to bring them home to plant. He had the faith they would grow. Matt looked up the growing season for watermelon on the internet and it certainly wasn't the middle of summer in Florida, but to appease Kaden he helped him plant them anyway. It wasn't long before we saw the watermelon sprouting!! We were shocked to tell you the truth. Now his watermelon plant is flowering and several feet long. I am thankful for the faith of my little 4 year old and I am thankful for a primary leader who shared her testimony with my kids.

Matt's latest project

2010-07-14T09:29:00.001-07:00

I bought Matt this little TV for Christmas and fourth of July weekend he decided he needed a project. So he climbed up into our thousand degree attic to wire the TV (anyone who lives in FL KNOWS how hot the attics get in the middle of summer). Example, I went to put something away up there and the plastic lid of the container was HOT to the touch. You can't store candles up there, they melt. Anyway, he spent an entire evening running wires, cutting holes and voila! Now we have the luxury of watching TV while sitting on the crapper (I have yet to turn it on but I know Matt enjoys the morning news). :)

Swim Trunks and Silly Bandz

2010-07-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Seems these days this is all I see my kids in, swim trunks and silly bandz. We have managed to keep very busy with summer (beach, movies, swimming, bowling, library and more swimming). I haven't been the best at carrying a camera around with me however. Silly bandz are "all that" with the kids here this summer. It started just before the school year ended. Basically, jelly bracelets reinvented but in different shapes (animals, planets, letters, movie characters, etc). They are actually cool and girls AND boys wear them. They were banned from bringing them to school because the kids wouldn't stop playing with them, and I see the kids at church trading between classes and before and after primary. It has been fun for my kids, except when Kai secretly tries to add to his collection from Kaden's stash.

INTRUDER ALERT!!!

2010-06-06T12:52:00.000-07:00

I was having a nice, peaceful Sunday morning UNTIL... I went to put a towel away in the hall closet and saw this little darlin' slither underneath the door! I jumped back screaming, woke Kaden up, jolted Matt out of a dead sleep. Snakes are one of my worst fears. I have always, always been afraid of them.
We have no idea how he got in. What's worse, Kai had seen him earlier (before I woke up) and said, "I thought it was a worm". I can't believe it didn't phase him! We think he had one thing on his mind, "Super Mario 2" and he didn't want to stop to bother with the snake.
I think Matt dislikes snakes as much as I do but he was more rational about the situation. He sat there and designed/constructed a snake noose so he could get him safely out of the house. I stood back and watched, broom in hand. I've been able to swat a lizard or two out of the house with my trusty broom and it leaves a good distance between me and the reptiles. If the vacuum hose would've worked I may have tried to suck the snake up.
Might I add our cat, Onyx, was no help, she's afraid of them too!

Kaden often walks around the house often times chanting "intruder awert, intruder awert", thus the title.

Never, Never, Never...

2010-06-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

Never, never, never have a major injury the few days of the fiscal year. For those who don't remember, our 3 year old at the time, broke his leg on the trampoline the second day after we arrived in Oregon for Christmas break. The actual date was December 23, 2009. I have a $1000 deductible per person/per year (that's after we already pay a HUGE amount for insurance each month). Let me remind you we paid the $1000 for Kai's broken arm in 2009. Anyway, I am thinking I'm good, bills started rolling in from Oregon after we got home in January and I pay my $1000. Of course he had to have follow up in Jacksonville in January so I was thinking it'd all be covered, minus 20%, because I'd already paid my $1000, right? Last month I got ANOTHER $1100 bill from the clinic in Jacksonville. After calling the insurance they explained I hadn't met my 2010 DEDUCTIBLE for Kaden. Sick and wrong. Made me mad. I waited until I got my second notice to mail the bill in. In fact it's sitting in the mail box with a stamp on it. If anyone would like to pay it for me I will quickly go out and remove my check.
Let's pray for no broken bones in 2010.

Ginnie Springs

2010-05-25T10:45:00.000-07:00

Matt got his scuba diving certification this past winter and needs to complete a certain number of dives to keep his certification current so he signed up for the "galaxy dive" at Ginnie Springs. They dove at night so it was pitch black in the cave. We decided to make a family outing of the weekend. It was a nice getaway but the crowd at the springs was pretty rough. There was a lot of drinking, foul language, immodesty and overall crude behavior. I am thinking we won't take the kids back there again.

"Play Day"

2010-04-30T13:35:00.001-07:00

I don't know if it's because it gets so hot here or what but the kids have their "play day" at school like 6 or 8 weeks before school gets out. When I was a kid we had "field day" the last day or so of school. I have gone both years and taken Kaden with me. He always has a ball and remembered it from last year. He loves to compete and enjoy the festivities of the day. He will be SO ready for kindergarten when he gets there.

Things that have changed since my childhood field days. We used to get ribbons for the races (1st, 2nd, 3rd). Now everyone's a winner. We did physical challenges like tug o war, sprints, etc. They had cup stacking, hopping on a bouncy ball, water balloon tosses (the running you see in the picture was the most physical event of the day).

The perfect alternative...

2010-04-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Matt's co-worker offered him a bounce house for the kids (her kids were no longer using it). He called to ask if I wanted him to take it. Um YAH, isn't this every kids dream AND it's a perfect alternative to a trampoline which my kids are forever banned from. This is the best "hand me down". Free always makes things so much cooler to me! :)

To catch a Leprechaun

2010-03-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

Since leprechauns cause so much mischief at Kai's school (hiding pencils, making messes, stealing homework) his class was asked to design a leprechaun trap. He and Matt stayed up the other night to construct it. The hope is the little bugger will stick his arm/hand in and will not be able to get it back out once he reaches for the fake gold. Kai is really hoping he is able to catch one today! :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Sad, sad day

2010-03-13T12:45:00.000-08:00

Today we had to put our fearless kitty, Casey, to sleep. We got him 13 years ago from a neighbor in Providence, UT. From there he moved with us to Colorado Springs, CO and lastly flew from CO to FL with us. He knew no boundaries, the neighborhood was his playground. He liked taking walks with the family around the block. He was our pheasant hunting, dog wrestling, rat catching bully! He had a chunk missing out of his ear, would often show up with missing tufts of fur and scars on his nose. He was seriously the cat with 9 lives, we nursed him back to health on numerous occasions. Casey could also be the biggest baby, curling up next to us with his big motor running, "nursing" on the blanket he rested on. He always let his little sister, Onyx, eat first.
We will surely miss our most loyal friend, Case. Til we meet again!

Mohawk

2010-03-11T06:16:00.000-08:00

Kai has been wearing his hair "spikey" to school for the past little while. What's funny to me about that is other little boys started showing up with their hair spiked. Last night after his bath he decided to style it in a mohawk. He has the thickest hair so it just stayed that way. He BEGGED me to put mousse in it and let him wear it that way to school this morning. It is against every fiber of my being to let him go out of the house like that but he was so serious about keeping it that way. I fixed it and couldn't stop laughing at him. He asked me why I was laughing and I said he looked funny. In all seriousness he turned around to me and said, "in a good way or a bad way?". I told him I didn't know how to answer that question.
I feel proud of myself for actually giving in, relinquishing some control. I mean what does it hurt, right?

Spring is here!

2010-02-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

I went out in my backyard tonight and this is what I saw on my trees!

Our "winter" fun

2010-02-18T10:16:00.001-08:00

In all fairness this "winter" has been really cold here! I will wake up sometimes and the house will be 62 degrees. The night we got home from Oregon it was 55!! We have even burned fires pretty consistently in our fireplace this year (which we've NEVER done before). The kids had Monday off because of President's Day so we packed picnic lunches and went with our good friends to the Timucuan Fort. We did a little hiking, watched the boats, saw dolphins swimming and let the kids run wild. They had a ball and Kaden did great. That's probably the farthest he has walked since getting his cast off. It was a chilly, but beautiful day.

Kaden turns 4

2010-02-14T13:48:00.001-08:00

The last four years has absolutely flown! I can't believe Kaden is 4. When Kai turned 4 I thought he was so grown up. Kaden is such a little fire cracker. He is very quick to laugh, very independent, very clever and wants to do everything his big brother does. He has a little temper but he also keeps us laughing. Everyone loves Kaden. Happy Birthday to our little buddy!

Wonderful, Wicked Weekend

2010-02-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Matt and I went away for the first time in 7 years this weekend (I've never left my kids with anyone, except for the night I left Kai to have Kaden. Kai has had sleepovers but never Kaden. Matt surprised me with tickets to Wicked for Christmas. I saw it last spring in Jacksonville with a friend and LOVED it. I was excited for Matt to be able to see it too. We went to Tampa, saw the show, had a nice dinner at Ruth's Chris and stayed over night! It was much needed, long over due break! Nice to be able to talk without being interrupted, nice not to have to buckle anyone in but myself when I got in the car, nice to eat a meal without worrying about the kids making a mess, not sitting still or being too loud, nice to wake up without having any demands placed upon me immediately. It was wonderful! We need to get away more often. I think I was most proud of myself for breaking down and leaving the kids. They were in good hands, their Grandpa and Grandma McKendrick came and stayed at our house with them. Grandpa made them pancakes for breakfast, a memory I am sure they will have forever. I still remember my Grandpa O'Dell making us girls pancakes when we went to visit him.

Happy Day!

2010-02-11T06:53:00.001-08:00

I took Kaden and got him all registered for preschool for the 2010-2011 school year. I don't know who is more excited him or me?! In Florida all children who are 4 have the option of going to preschool for essentially 1/2 day (Kaden will go 8:30-11:45). I feel like they need it in preparation for kindergarten which is full day here. He will be going to the same preschool Kai did (a baptist academy). It's such a FUN time for the kids, I look forward to the friends Kaden will make, the experiences he will have, the crafts he will come home with. I will drop Kaden off, run and drop Kai off, and I will have precisely 2 1/2 hours to myself. It will be almost 8 years since I had any time to myself. I can actually go to the grocery store or the post office BY MYSELF. Hopefully I come up with some more fun things to do than that but for now that prospect is exciting. :)

Can you tell what part of school Kaden is most excited about?

"BATTER UP"

2010-02-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

Kaden has waited patiently for his turn to play baseball. He will be 4 next Saturday so he was old enough to start spring baseball. We missed his first practice because we were away for the weekend but his Grandpa and Grandma McKendrick took him. We are so excited to watch him and cheer him on this season. Since his cast came off about 2 weeks ago he still isn't able to run, but he does his best to hobble along. We have no doubt he'll be running soon. He asked me at one of Kai's games if I would say, "go Kaden, go Kaden" when it was his turn to run bases.

"If it snowed in Jacksonville"

2010-01-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

This paper actually melted my heart when it came home from school. We had a really good time in Oregon at Christmas time. The boys LOVED spending time with my family and there were lots of tears shed the night before we left and the morning we flew out at o dark thirty. I could hear Kai sobbing in the dark on the plane from Pendleton to Portland. Quietly sobbing though is an improvement over last year in the airport, "I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE PENDLETON" so everyone was staring at us. Meanwhile I was crying too and couldn't say anything. I think Kai was actually fully prepared to let Matt, Kaden and I fly back home this year and him stay and go to school with his cousins. Now he just tells me he wishes we could move our house and our yard to Pendleton.
Anyway, while we were there Kai and Grandpa Gailey built a "snow alien". Thus the paper from school.
Translation- "If it snowed in Jacksonville I would make an snow alien. I would lick snow when it falls from the sky."

It's off!

2010-01-26T12:55:00.001-08:00

We are so happy, Kaden's cast came off today! It has actually gone pretty fast since the first two weeks he had it on we were in Oregon. At first he wouldn't put weight on it (he had me carry him out of the doctor's office) but just a short couple of hours later he realized he can still get around. We are taking him swimming at UNF tonight. We found him a wet suit on ebay (for when we go to the springs) for $6.70. As you can see he loves it and it fits him perfectly.

It has been awhile

2009-12-30T07:29:00.000-08:00

We have had somewhat of an unusual December. The first part of the month was spent as normal, shopping, baking, wrapping, sending out cards and attending parties. The week before we were supposed to leave for Oregon Kai came home from school with the flu!! Matt hurried and took him in the same night he came down with the symptoms and got him some tamiflu which worked really well. We were nervous it would one, rip through the rest of the family or two, Kai wouldn't be well enough to fly. Kai had to miss the last few days of school. Kaden got a killer cold a few days later but no flu. Matt came down with that killer cold the day before we flew. Yes, he flew sick. He was pretty miserable. The trip went off without a hitch this year which was wonderful. Just a loonnngg day. The day after we got here Kaden was having fun with his cousins, jumping on the trampoline and broke his leg! We are not quite sure what happened, we think someone may have jumped on his leg?? Anyway, he's in a cast and will be for the next 5-6 weeks. Merry Christmas to Kaden! The ER orthopedic doc that attended to Kaden was actually here visiting from Colorado Springs (checking the area out to see if he wants to move here). We just finished paying off Kai's $1,000+ arm now onto Kaden's bills. I have absolutely no pictures, I think I need a new disk. Mine keeps telling me it's full after just a few pictures are taken. Hope y'all had a Merry Christmas!

End of the year party

2009-12-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Kai's baseball team finished almost last this season but they sure got a lot of good opportunities to learn and grow and play new positions. Kai started hitting really well and got to play in field lots of the games (which he has never gotten to do before). His best friend, Hunter, totally rocked playing in field. It's fun to watch them progress. Their team party was held at the bowling alley at the Beach.

"The things that make you go hmmmm"

2009-12-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

The toilet in the kids' bathroom keeps getting clogged. If you have been following the blog for awhile you remember last year Matt had to take the toilet OFF the floor two different times because of flushed bath toys. I removed ALL bath toys from the tub and recently put a few back in. Every time the toilet gets clogged we ask Kaden what he flushed and then I count the bath toys. He always replies, "nuffing" and he's right, all the bath toys are accounted for. The other day it was just he and I home and the bathroom door was closed (he likes his privacy). It had been a little too long and it was too quiet. Kaden+Quiet=NO GOOD.
As I approached the door he yelled through it, "not yet mom", so I knew it couldn't be good. The picture tells all.

Land of the Lost

2009-12-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

I don't know how I did it but I lost all the pictures we've taken over the past several months. Among them were our first camping trip (yes, we actually braved the FL wild life and took the kids camping) and Kai's 7th birthday that we celebrated at Animal Kingdom in Orlando. I hope one of these days they just magically reappear on the camera disk. We reached a monumental milestone with Kaden this week. He stayed dry overnight for TWO weeks so we took him out of pull ups at night. Can I just tell you how glad I am not to be buying any form of diaper anymore!!!! It was a big deal, he got to choose some new underwear (Star wars) and he is so proud of himself. Matt pulled his hamstring playing at the annual turkey bowl with other guys from church and had to miss Thanksgiving dinner. :( We had a nice time with all the family though (I took the kids over to his uncle's).
Now onto Christmas, "it's the most wonderful time of the year..."

Boiled WHAT?

2009-11-04T10:21:00.000-08:00

Living in the south is different from living out west and we have slowly become accustomed to new ways. Kaden's buddy, Suzie, LOVES boiled peanuts (yah, you read that right) and it wasn't until a baseball game last season I tried them. Yuck, soggy nuts! Well, my little Kaden has become a boiled peanut fan. His memories of baseball will be drinking "flushies" (slushies) and eating boiled peanuts with Suzie. I will just be thrilled when he learns to open them on his own because I don't like the juice that comes out on my fingers when I go to crack one open. Nuts should be hard and crunchy shouldn't they?
Something else about the south I thought was funny is they serve SWEET TEA everywhere you go. I am even thinking it's at Chipotle.

Character Parade

2009-10-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Instead of dressing for Halloween Kai's class was allowed to dress as a character from a book for school today. They had to be able to retell the story to their class. Kai chose to dress as "Pirate Pete" and Kaden went as a pumpkin from Pumpkin Town. We are going to spend the afternoon in Kai's class helping with the "fall activities". We had to go to the grocery store after we dropped Kai off this morning and Kaden would NOT wear his costume in the store because all the other people would be dressed in normal clothes.
The other day I had to go to a funeral so Kaden and I went dressed in "church clothes" to school. He about melted down because he didn't want the other kids to see him all dressed up. He's fine wearing church clothes to church but he knew the other kids wouldn't be in church clothes at school. REALLY, concerned what you look like and fitting in at age 3?

Camping in FL

2009-10-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

Kai has been wanting Matt to take him camping since he missed the Father/Son outing due to his broken arm last spring. So Friday night Matt pitched two tents in the back yard. Kaden was fine until it was time to go to bed and then he wanted to come in and sleep in his own bed. Me, I slept inside in my comfortable bed with the a/c on. Matt stuck it out and slept out there with Kai. I like this camping arrangement.

A pocket full

2009-10-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

I was sitting on the bleachers watching Friday night's game and I looked up and saw Kai fumbling with his pants. I got a closer look and he had what I thought was a whole back pocket full of sand. His favorite past time in baseball is to play with the sand in the outfield. When he played catcher, he'd bend down to pick up the ball and make sure he got a hand full of sand in the process. Anyway, I jumped off the bleachers, ran to the fence and hollered at him to quit putting sand in his pants. He got up to bat and ran around the bases with a sagging bum. When he came out to talk to me he was playing with a rock. I put two and two together, he had that BOULDER in his pocket the whole game! His coach caught him playing with it earlier in the night and had thrown it out of his reach. Apparently Kai decided he must have this treasure for himself. He was so proud of himself for thinking he pulled a fast one on coach and mom!!

We had team snacks on Friday night and Kaden was insistent that he help pass the snacks out to the team.

Swim lessons

2009-09-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

The kids have been taking swim lessons for a few weeks now. Both kids are FISH, they love the water and are really pretty good swimmers already. Guess that comes with living in FL. Kaden is THRILLED to have a class of his own with Mr. Frank. I've even managed to get some laps in while the kids are swimming. It has been a LONG time since I've swam.

New Kaden

2009-09-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago I walked around the corner to find this...
When I rather loudly exclaimed, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" this was his quick reply, "I'm making a new boy. I'm making a new Kaden". I didn't realize there was a problem with the old Kaden.

Little Lizzy

2009-08-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you non Floridians these little lizards are ALL OVER the place. I remember house hunting and being so freaked out because you just walk by the bushes and you hear them scurrying around, they cross your path as you go to walk out the door, they even wait for you on the mail box. It still kind of does freak me out when they get in the house but I have learned how to get them out. Well, since we have gotten the pool they love to sun themselves on the ladder (which we take out when the kids get out). I typically try and look at both sides, give it a little shake down before I put it back in the pool. Apparently I missed, little Lizzy, poor unfortunate soul, because the second the ladder hit the water I heard the flutter in the water. They are fast swimmers!!! A minute before these pictures were taken she was laying on her side with one front and one back leg sticking out of the water. Don't worry, I got her out with the net and freed her.

First day of first grade

2009-08-27T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have tried to post this entry now about 15 times!! Something keeps happening when I go to post pictures, ENOUGH ALREADY!
Kai started first grade this year. He was excited to discover some of his good friends from last year were in his class. Kai loves school and was anxious to start this week. Kaden had a complete melt down when he figured out he wasn't going to school this year. Next year buddy. I look forward to next year, Kaden will be in school 1/2 day and Kai all day. It will be the first time in almost 8 years I'll have some time to myself. Woo-hoo! Kaden and I have actually had a nice, mellow week together this week, it has been nice.

Spikey Hair Kaden

2009-08-11T03:49:00.000-07:00

If you are not "friends" with Matt on facebook you have not had the priviledge of seeing this great picture of Kaden yet. Matt and Kaden had some time alone last Friday night and this was the outcome. Matt fixed his hair and Kaden LOVED it. I feel like this truly gives you some insight into his personality.

4th of July

2009-07-05T12:04:00.001-07:00

We had a very busy, fun filled day yesterday. We started out the morning by going out to breakfast with Matt's parents. In the afternoon we met and went swimming, came back to the house for a bbq and fireworks, then went to watch the big fireworks on the beach. I thought that was cool. First time in my life I've watched fireworks on the beach. Lots of people, lots of traffic and chaos but Matt's parents were troopers for hanging in there with the kids and I to go see the show. So Kaden can tell people his first "real" fireworks show was on the shores of the Atlantic ocean. Pretty cool!

Kaden dresses himself

2009-06-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since my last post. I feel like since school got out I have been on the go every minute of every day trying to entertain the kids. Most of our days consist of some sort of water activity (pool, beach) other days free movies and trips to St. Augustine. Kai got his cast off 6 days after school was out thankfully. He has been a fish ever since.
As I was looking through our "summer pictures" I stumbled on this one of Kaden. I think Matt actually took it. It made me laugh so I had to share. No, he didn't go out in public looking like this. Kaden LOVES shoes and clothes and he likes to get himself dressed. He got the frog shirt from his Aunt Jaime for Christmas and would wear it every day if he could. In fact I recently purchased another one a size bigger at Gymboree because the one he got for Christmas was looking faded due to all the washing. I will post some other pictures soon of our summer adventures.

Summer time!

2009-06-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

Much to my dismay Kai's kindergarten year ended on Friday so we are officially on summer break now. We have lived here a little over 3 years and are NEVER prepared for the heat/humidity that comes with each summer. We finally broke down and got a pool for the backyard a couple weeks ago. Kai still has his cast for a few more days, thus the garbage bag on his arm! :) He can't go under or get it wet still, it's just a precaution. He is counting down the days that he can go underwater and get his arm wet.

Rainy Day Project

2009-05-31T14:26:00.000-07:00

O.K., I am really getting brave. During the week and a half we had torrential rains I decided to take on yet another painting project, our spare room. I think I am getting this painting thing down. Now I need to get some pictures hung on the walls and decorate the room so it looks cute. The comforter set on the bed was purchased in UT like 12 years ago and has been with us ever since, time for a change!

Kai's Kindergarten Program

2009-05-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Last week was Kai's end of the year kindergarten program. It was SO cute. I love kindergarten and am sad to see this year come to an end. He has learned a ton, made good friends and had the best teacher.

Up, up and away

2009-05-18T13:03:00.001-07:00

Matt's brother, Nate, is an air traffic controller in St. Augustine. He invited us to a work party where the kids were able to tour an air traffic control tower and go for a ride in a cessna. They thought that was pretty cool. We had a lot of fun. Thanks Uncle Nate!

The cast

2009-05-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

Kai got his cast put on yesterday at the orthopedic clinic. What happened to the days when you just went to the primary care doctor and they "did it all" there? From the time we left until the time we got home it was FOUR HOURS! Thankfully Matt was able to watch Kaden or I would've been a wreck. Kai did really well, they took more x-rays and then put his cast on. He chose ORANGE! At least it matches his Giants uniform. :) He can't play on the play ground equipment and is not supposed to go to P.E. I talked to his teacher today and I think I will send him with his DS so he has something to look forward to when the other kids are having fun. The hardest part of this all is keeping him down. He is dying to climb, run, play, jump! The doctor's office told me you can order something to go over the cast so he can get wet. We might have to do that! It's getting hot here and swimming is one of his favorite things to do.

Broken Arm

2009-04-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

We have our first official broken arm in the family. We were at McDonalds last night with some friends and Kai jumped off the play equipment and landed "just right". I wasn't sure it was broken, but after an off duty nurse looked at it and said if it were her kid she would take him to the hospital Matt took him to the children's hospital down town. Initially there was a lot of crying but once he calmed down Kai has been a trooper through the experience. He has a temporary wrap on his arm and the orthopedic doctor can't see him until Monday to put a permanent cast on.
He will not be able to finish out the baseball season but we plan to be there to cheer the team on through the play offs.
We think when he gets the cast he will be in it for approximately 6 weeks (just in time for swimming season thankfully). It was his left arm which is good since he is right handed.

Gorillas

2009-04-27T06:15:00.001-07:00

This is Kai's first kindergarten report on Gorillas. I am continually amazed at what they have learned this year in school. They are far beyond where I was at that age. I remember learning my letters, playing, eating snack and going home after a short 3 1/2 hours at that age. Kai is reading, does "math investigations", science, will be learning persuasive writing and the list goes on. We have had a wonderful year, he has the best teacher ever. I am sad for this year to come to a close. We are proud of Kai and how hard he has worked.

Easter

2009-04-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

I feel like Easter snuck up on us this year. I managed to climb up in the attic 2 days before Easter to dig the baskets out, throw some bunny place mats on the table and grabbed my Easter tree to use as a center piece.
I think my kids had a good Easter though. It was fun to see the excitement in their eyes as they searched the house for eggs and their baskets Easter morning. Kai was most interested in playing with his new "Shark Bite Bay" and Kaden, stuffing his face with candy.
Since Kai was 3 one of his favorite scripture stories was the Easter story so he helped teach it to Kaden this year.

Spring Break

2009-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

It was my goal this year to set the house work aside and do something "fun" each day of spring break with the kids. Despite the torrential rains we experienced we had a pretty busy week. We started out by seeing Monsters vs. Aliens which Kai loved (me, I thought it was marginal). Monday we went hiking with some friends to a marsh which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. Kaden was a trooper and hiked the whole way, just telling me toward the end he was getting tired. Tuesday we went to the park and played all morning with friends. Wednesday it totally rained so we baked and frosted Easter cookies and rented Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Thursday a friend invited us to the zoo so we quickly took her up on the offer. Friday I ventured out to the beach by myself with the kids, it was BEAUTIFUL and the kids had a ball. All in all I think it was a pretty fun week. It's kind of nice the kids are getting a little older so we can just go in a minutes notice without worrying about naps, diapers, strollers, baby food. I think we'll stay pretty busy this summer, mostly in the pool since, as Steph put it, "the Africa weather" is coming.
My camera is "crapping" out so I didn't get a lot of pictures this week. :(

From Drab to "Fab"

2009-03-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

I took on yet another painting adventure and did the dining room last week. It really changed the whole look of the room, I am pleased with how it turned out.

And this makes three

2009-03-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Matt recently assisted Kai in pulling his 3rd tooth! I was in the other room and heard it bounce across the floor. Kai was brave, not a complaint or tear. As much as it grosses Matt out he still continues to assist Kai with his tooth pulling. He is able to do it quick and painlessly. Maybe he missed his calling in life as a dentist?! Kai looks so cute running into home plate, grinning with this big ol' gaping hole in the front of his mouth.

Rotten Sandwich

2009-03-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

Every day Kaden and I pick Kai up from school and we can see him through the doors before he even walks out. He most always is anxious to greet us unless he "got his card flipped" (meaning he wasn't listening or was doing something he shouldn't) that day and then his head hangs down. I don't even need to ask him. Anyway, today he came straight out the door and said in ALL SERIOUSNESS, "mom, you gave me a rotten sandwich today, the bread was brown" and I assured him that I didn't, but that I sent WHEAT bread instead of white. He said he didn't like it (my guess is he didn't even try it). My picky, picky, ocd little boy (wonder where he gets it from). He saw it wasn't the "same" as every other day and went into panic mode. It was pretty cute though and had the other teachers who overheard laughing.

Cake Anyone?

2009-03-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

I bought this cookbook for my sister who loves to experiment with new recipes. Before I sent it off though I decided I'd try a few of the yummiest looking recipes, one of them being a chocolate truffle cake. I spent my WHOLE Sunday afternoon (following a hundred different steps and going through an enormous amount of ingredients) just to throw it away. It looks just like the picture but it wasn't very good AT ALL. That's kind of one of the reasons I don't like to experiment with recipes. I love to cook/bake but usually I only try a recipe if I've tasted it first or have a very reliable source tell me it's a good recipe and so I bid farewell to "Southern Living Christmas Cookbook".

Little Giants

2009-03-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

We have begun another season of tee ball. This time Kai and his best friend, Hunter, are on the same team. I don't know if it had to do with Matt putting that they were step brothers on the application so they'd put them together or not. Whatever, we're happy. The first game was a little rough but last night the team did well. Kai got to play 3rd base and he was really excited about that. He typically plays in the outfield (which I am just fine with). He tends to play in the sand though when he is out there left to his own devices. Kaden looks forward to getting his "flushy" (slushy) each game and now has Suzie to play with so he's happy.

My little monkeys

2009-02-21T10:52:00.000-08:00

I was in the house making dinner and I heard a lot of commotion (which is not unusual for our home). The kids are normally pretty loud when they are outside playing. Anyway, I decided I should probably go out and take a look, "and what to my wondering eyes did appear?" but two little monkeys climbing without fear. Seriously, we are not going to make it through their childhood without broken bones, concussions, you name it. Kai, he will come in screaming "bloody murder" if he sees a bee and Kaden will come screeching in if he sees a butterfly but they will climb a tree an not think twice about it. I was on the phone just yesterday with my neighbor and had to frantically hang up when I heard, "help me, help me mom". Kaden was hanging upside down in the tree. Never a dull moment.

Valentines Breakfast

2009-02-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Our church put on a Valentine's Breakfast (pajama party) that my kids were really excited to attend. They thought it was fun to be able to wear pajamas to church. Wish we could show up on Sundays in our pj's! :)

More Disney pictures

2009-02-12T13:08:00.001-08:00

Here are some more pictures from our weekend at Disney.

Our weekend at Disney

2009-02-12T12:56:00.000-08:00

Two of my sisters, Jaime and Jan, were able to come out this past weekend for our Disney trip to celebrate Kaden's 3rd birthday.
We packed a lot into the days they were here. Saturday we were at the Magic Kingdom for their opening ceremony in the morning and there for the light parade at night. I don't know how people get those 5 day passes and do parks every day, we were pretty wiped out after one day.
We had a great time and made lots of good memories. We stayed at the Swan and Dolphin, which Kai refers to as "the triangle".
We'll miss you Aunt Jaime and Jan.

Restitution

2009-02-10T17:01:00.000-08:00

So many of you know of our horrendous trip out west at Christmas time. I really felt they owed us for all that went terribly wrong. I e-mailed United about a month ago and never got a response from them. When Jaime and Jan were here and able to help watch the kids, (I knew I couldn't get on the phone and concentrate let alone understand "Rameed" if I was chasing Kaden) I made the call. I ended up getting vouchers (which I have not yet seen) for $250 a person (so $1000 total) toward our next trip. I wasn't mean and nasty, I just stated the facts and held my ground. It pays to be persistent and follow through.

Before and After

2009-02-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

So I finally got brave and painted the kitchen. Not only did I paint it but I got bold and added a touch of red!! Harmony, never thought you'd see the day eh? You must be rubbing off on me.

Our first house in Providence, ALL WHITE walls, "apple peel" to be exact. Next, the CO house, lots of color but not by our choosing. Now, the FL house and we are finally warming up to the idea of color. It really does change the look and add personality. I guess I was just into the "sterile" look but have come to realize the house can still look clean without the white walls. :)

I have also come to realize color hides dirty little finger prints better.

The big ouch

2009-01-29T06:18:00.000-08:00

Kaden taught himself how to ride Kai's old bike and has been so proud that he has learned to pedal himself all over the back patio. Last night he took a big spill though. He got the biggest knot on his head. It freaked me out, but we gave him a bath to clean him up, motrin and I sat holding him with ice on his head for as long as he'd let me. We kept him up for awhile to monitor him. I shined the flashlight in his eyes to check his pupils, had him walk around to make sure he hadn't lost his balance and asked him questions to make sure he was coherent and his speech wasn't slurred. The swelling has gone down today.

Poor Kaden.

None of my parenthood classes in college mentioned needing a nursing degree.

One of those days...

2009-01-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Today has been "one of those days" with Kaden. Started early, hasn't stopped all day. I was on the computer and I heard him in the bathroom so I went in and this is what I found. I asked him what he had on his hair and he said, "nuffing" translation, "nothing", which is what he always says when I ask him what he's doing when he's doing something he shouldn't.

The culprit? Cars hair gel. At least it was gel and he knew where to put it right? It has to make you laugh.

I love to see the temple

2009-01-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

Matt had a business trip down to Orlando this weekend and asked if we wanted to come along. We spent the day shopping yesterday and I decided to take the kids to see the temple after we dropped Matt off this morning. It was a beautiful Florida day.

A day with grandpa

2009-01-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

I haven't seen my dad in about 7 years (so my kids have never met him) and he was able to come out to Pendleton for the day while we were there last month. We started the morning at McDonalds (so we could let the kids play and we could visit), went onto the park, tried to go bowling but the wait was too long and then it was onto pizza for lunch and to Jaime's to hang out for the afternoon. It was sad to say good-bye but Jaime sent him on his way with some snickerdoodles (his favorite).

Tired boy!

2009-01-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

Matt got a new guitar hero game for Christmas and that's pretty much what he spent his break doing, playing with Lance, our brother in law. He started to play last night and Kaden wanted to join in, as you can see he didn't last long. He fell asleep with guitar in hand (music blaring). Too much action this past couple weeks, it finally caught up to him.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T16:27:00.001-08:00

We set off on our long journey home on New Year's Eve. We drove about 1 1/2 hours to Pasco, Washington to catch the flight, flew to Denver, then onto Orlando where we landed and drove 2 hours home. We got into bed around 4:00 a.m. this morning. The coolest thing about our trip was flying over Disney at midnight and seeing their fireworks display from the plane. In years past I have rarely stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve. We got to see many fireworks displays as we flew into Orlando.

One other fun thing about the flight, you can see my kids are in their Aggie shirts Aunt Jenny sent them from Utah State (Matt and I are both USU alumni). There were a couple other little kids in their "Y" shirts at the back end of the plane.

Christmas morning

2008-12-29T15:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from Christmas morning. Santa visited Pendleton (we already opened our gifts to each other in Florida) and the kids opened their gifts from their cousins/grandparents/aunts & uncles. You see Kaden and Ashtyn were quick to embrace our tradition of getting up Christmas morning and stuffing a piece of chocolate in our mouths.

The one bringing gifts is my youngest sister, Jan, doesn't she look festive?

The Nativity

2008-12-29T15:43:00.000-08:00

It is our tradition to do a Christmas devotional on Christmas Eve. As we have added little ones to the family our program has been adapted and now consists of the children acting out the nativity. The kids love dressing up each year to celebrate Jesus' birth.

Starring: Ashlee (Jan's daughter) as Mary, Austin (Jan's son) as Joseph, Kaden, the angel of the Lord, Kai (wise man), Elsie (Jan's daughter) wise man and Ashtyn (Jaime's daughter) a shepherd.

Snow, beautiful snow!

2008-12-26T10:41:00.000-08:00

Since we got here we've gotten about 20 inches of snow!! What a better Christmas gift could we get than that? The kids love playing in it, that is until Kaden fell into the frozen fish pond in grandma's backyard. Kaden has been grandma Gailey's shadow since we got here, he even curls up in her lap and sits still (something he never does for me).

Reindeer

2008-12-24T06:14:00.000-08:00

Not sure whose idea it was to make all the children look like rudolph but they sure had fun pretending they were Santa's lead reindeer.

Annual Gingerbread Cookie Decorating

2008-12-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

Every year my mom gets a gingerbread house and cookies for the kids to decorate. They LOVE decorating, eating the candy/frosting and spending time with their cousins. Naturally, Kaden was the first to dip his in his frosting and start "chowing". Cousins: Elsie, Kaden, Kai, Austin, Ashlee, Ashtyn

The Christmas that almost wasn't

2008-12-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to blog about our trip for almost a week, and now that I am through the trauma of it all I think I can finally sit down and write.

It all started with a peaceful trip to Orlando last Wednesday morning. Matt bought us tickets out of Orlando (about 2 hours from Jax) to make the ticket prices more reasonable. Our flight was to leave at 3:00 p.m., we left Jacksonville at 9:30 a.m. so in PLENTY of time.

We get there, try and check bags but since Matt is traveling with a firearm we need special attention. He carefully read all the regulations several times over to make sure he would be legal (he has flown with guns before, no problem). They were very understaffed so the checking in process took about an hour. The lady behind the counter, who knew nothing, proceeded to fight with Matt and tell him he couldn't travel with them in the case he brought them in. Finally, she involved TSA and after much sweat and frustration we were able to pay our $15 per bag (yes, you now pay per bag) we were able to check all four. That wasn't before I had to unpack mine, transfer some of the weight into Matt's bag so he could put the firearm case in my bag (you are charged over $100 for luggage over 50 pounds). O.K. so we go have a little lunch, take the kids to the bathroom and wander down to the gate. We get there and find out our flight to Denver has been delayed (this is on UNITED airline). What does that mean? We miss our connection from Denver into Pasco, Washington. Mind you Matt paid more money to fly into Pasco because it's about 1 1/2 hours from my where my family lives in Oregon. After waiting for about another hour in line Matt finds out we have the option of being stuck for 3 days in Denver or flying to Portland, Oregon (which is about 3 1/2 hours from my family). We chose the option to fly into Portland because staying in an airport in Denver for 3 days with the kids didn't really seem like a party to us. We get into Denver with like 5 minutes to spare so Matt and I RAN about 50 gates to try and catch our flight to Pasco. UNITED wouldn't hold the plane for us so we missed our connection. We tried to figure out what we were going to do once we got into Portland since there were major winter storm warnings. My sister, Jaime, spent probably 3-4 hours on the phone with UNITED that night. Matt decided to rent a car and a motel room (all unplanned expenses). Our flight out of Denver to Portland kept getting delayed so Kai was sleeping on the aiport floor, Kaden was running "amuck", Matt was swearing and threatening to get us a flight back to FL, I was crying. It was HORRIBLE. We finally board the flight to Portland and by this time have almost been up a full day. We get into Portland, wake the kids up and drag them off the plane to get our luggage. We wait, and wait and wait. NO LUGGAGE!!!!! We had no clean clothes, no toothbrushes, nothing! Matt files a claim at 1 in the morning (4 our time), rents us a car and we set off to find a motel Jaime had booked us. Couldn't find it so we wake her up at 1:30 in the morning and finally located it. We get in the room and I kid you not, SUB ZERO temperatures. It felt like the heat hadn't been on ever. Coming from FL, it was probably an 80 degree temperature difference for us. Matt tries to heat it up by turning on shower/faucet and microwaving towels for the kids to curl up with. We get in bed, sleep a few hours only to be awakened by phone call saying there is no way we can make it to Pendleton because of the road conditions in the car we rented. Jan's husband, Lance, calls back and booked us flights from Portland to Pendleton (tiny commuter plane, very expensive). We think we are all good, we board that flight and start on our merry way. We get 1/2 way to Pendleton and we have to TURN AROUND and fly back to Portland because there is a failure in some deicing thing and conditions in Pendleton were horrendous. Good to go again, get on another plane and head to Pendleton again. We get there and can't land and there is talk of rerouting us to another city (which nobody could've gotten us from because of the weather). The cute pilot circles the runway while the snow plow is trying to clear enough space for us to land. He lands with 1/4 mile visability, snow DUMPING all around us we get off the plane finally. Jaime cried as we landed. We got here and UNITED still had no idea where our luggage was, we called every few hours and no more information, no more help. After a couple days MATT was the one who finally found our luggage in Pasco at a Horizon counter. The person who helped him was from Skywest. Bottom line, UNITED sucks and we have never been treated so poorly but customer service agents before. We still plan to seek help and be compensated for our troubles. You all know how ocd I am about cleanliness, whether that be my home, my clothes, my kids, whatever, so to see my kids in the same clothes 3 days and sleeping on airport floors was enough right there to cause a nervous breakdown.

Early Christmas

2008-12-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

We are going to Oregon for Christmas in two days (and it's SNOWING there) so we decided to exchange gifts before we left. Kai got home from school and has been asking me since he set foot in the car when we would be opening them. Of course we had to wait for dad to come home.

Kai has been really funny, all he wanted for Christmas was a toy called "Beast Bash". We'd go to Toys R Us and he'd say, "I really hope that Beast Bash in under the tree". Drawings that came home from school consisted of the "BEAST BASH". We didn't let him open it first because we were afraid he would be done with that. I love this age (for both boys), they are really easy to please and so fun to watch. We got Kaden a Diego Scooter, he rode it in to brush his teeth, parked it near his bed and kept saying, "I love you" (to the scooter, not us).

Matt put a lot of work into my Christmas this year, he put together pictures from our wedding (yes it has been almost 14 years and we have no framed pictures). This was before the digital age so he had to use photo shop, blow up pictures, run to have them printed off, etc. Very thoughtful! He also put together a frame with pictures of Kaden (we have one of Kai that Matt put together one Mother's Day but had none up of Kaden).

"Pig pen"

2008-12-10T06:18:00.000-08:00

My sister in law, Abigail, came over for the day yesterday and brought the little girl she babysits with her. As you can see Kaden had a very good time in our 75 degree December weather.

Christmas party

2008-12-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

We had our ward Christmas party Friday night. It was an enjoyable evening. We had dinner, there were musical numbers and crafts for the kids. I thought it was cute, Kai was really hungry and kept asking, "when can we order?". He sang with a small group of primary children, "Picture a Christmas". Kaden loved the crafts. He kept snatching the little red pom poms off the girls craft next to him.

Too funny not to share

2008-12-04T06:08:00.001-08:00

Kaden and I have walked Kai into school and waited with him since the first day. The other little kindergarten boys have always obsessed about who got to sit by Kaden in the hall in the mornings. This past week Kaden has decided however, he likes to sit between the two girls dressed in pink. Today he gets his book, plops down between the girls and says, "I went poop today". Can you tell what the focus has been with him in our household? :) Guess we need to work on his pick up lines!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

Kai's class put on a Thanksgiving program for the parents today. It was so cute. They sang, danced and made us pumpkin pie. I was really glad I was able to be there, not all parents were able to make it.

A pirate among us

2008-11-20T06:21:00.001-08:00

Kai has a pirate themed math night tonight at school and the school sent a note home saying the kids should dress as pirates when they came to school today. Like they couldn't have told us BEFORE all the Halloween stuff was gone. Being the diligent mother I am (or out of pure neurosis) I tracked a pirate costume down (the last one at party city). I think he looks really cute. Never mind it's like 30 degrees outside. He has several layers on (it's like being out west).

Kai's birthday

2008-11-14T10:40:00.001-08:00

We gave Kai the option this year of having a "birthday party" or taking a friend to Ollie Koala's (similar to Chuck E Cheese but a little nicer). He chose Hunter and his sister Suzie to come and have a sleepover. It worked out great. We went on Kai's b.day which was a Monday (so it was not crowded) and the next day was Veteran's Day so they had no school.

The end of a good day

2008-11-11T12:47:00.000-08:00

The kids had a wonderful weekend at their grandparents. They played hard and slept even harder that night.

Kai's b.day celebration with family

2008-11-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

Kai turned 6 November 10th so Matt's mom invited us down for a family celebration. The kids enjoyed the time spent with their cousins, aunt, uncle, grandpa and grandma. Kaden wasn't sure why he wasn't getting presents (that's the look you see in the first picture).

Fishing

2008-11-11T12:35:00.000-08:00

Grandpa and Grandma thought they would be teaching the kids to fish this weekend which naturally requires they sit still and be quiet. Are you kidding, a 2 and a 6 year old BOY sit still or be quiet? If there's one out there that does let me know what I am doing wrong. :)

What counts is the memories the kids will have of "fishing" with their grandparents.

I'll leave it to you to decide if we caught anything.

The boat trip

2008-11-11T12:28:00.001-08:00

To say we had a busy weekend is an understatement. The highlight of the weekend however, was a trip to Grandpa and Grandma McKendricks to celebrate Kai's 6th birthday. The kids had been looking forward to the trip all week. One of their favorite things to do is go out on the boat so we "braved" the chilly FL morning and did just that!

Stressed about the election results? Don't be.

2008-11-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

I, like many other conservatives, was disappointed, but not surprised by the results of the election. The pendulum has swung the way of the Democrats this election cycle, just as it did for Bush in 2000, The Republican Congress in 1994, Clinton in 1992, Reagan in 1980, and Carter in 1976. Whenever there is turmoil in this country, whether it be due to war, the economy, or scandal, there is a natural (and necessary) tendancy for the political parties in control of the government to be voted out in favor of new faces from across the aisle. I, like many other conservatives, have been let down by the Republican party these last 8 years. Not only because of the mishandling of the war and the ill-advised invasion of Iraq, but also because of the complete lack of fiscal responsibility. Overspending, bail-outs, pork, financing of 2 wars, complacency in the sub-prime mortgage fiasco, and scandal have plagued the Repulican party these last 8 years, and go against the principles that attracted me to the Republican party back in the days of Reagan. Although, I couldn't vote for Obama during the election due to idealogical differences (socialism, abortion, tax policies, radical associations), I will do my best to support him. I think it was a good thing the country got to "clean house". A good butt-kicking is exactly what the Republican party needed. It's a good lesson on what happens when you abandon your principles.

The best thing about Obama's election (at least to me), is that it shows how far our country has come in overcoming racism. It is exciting that we finally have our first African-American President. That is very encouraging. I just wish he was a conservative.

Let's hope President-Elect Obama can have an impact in turning our economy around and getting us out of the middle east without taking us into socialism (cause we all know how well THAT worked for Russia).

-Matt

Fun morning with dad

2008-11-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

Matt stayed home with Kaden this morning so I could go and vote. When I got home I came upon this scene. What could get better than this (for Kaden)? He got to go have Krispy Kreme donuts with dad and play guitar hero! I got a few moments of peace, a hot chocolate and pumpkin spice donut out of the deal!

Halloween!

2008-11-01T18:19:00.001-07:00

This year was the coldest Halloween we have spent here to date. It was awesome! The redness you see on Kai's cheeks is actually from the chilly wind and rain we experienced, not the heat for once. Kaden didn't end up participating in the night's festivities due to a small crisis but I think Kai had a fun night anyway. He got lots of compliments on his costume.

Ahh, I've been tagged!

2008-10-28T16:19:00.000-07:00

O.K. so here are the rules...

1. Link the person who tagged you

2. Post these rules

3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours

4. Tag 6 fellow bloggers

My "endearing quirks", only 6 to share eh... I fear I have many more than that. :)

1. I have no tolerance for discomfort, hot, cold, hungry, tired, you name it, it makes me grumpy. I would LOSE Survivor big time because they'd kick my tired, hungry, hot, grumpy self right off.

2. I, like my sister, Jenny, have a space issue! Les, my boss from UT, will remember this clearly. We'd go to a training and I'd have to move my chair away from hers, not because she smelled, but because I need my space. I am not a hugger, kisser or a close talker, take two steps back when you talk to me or I will.

3. I think my theme song is, "I'm in a hurry to get things done", it goes on to say "I rush and rush until life's no fun", it also talks about not knowing why I'm in a hurry. I think that word comes out of my mouth to my children at least 50 times a day. I rush Kai to eat breakfast and get ready in the morning just so he has time before we have to leave....

4.I am obsessive compulsive about a clean house. It seriously makes me mental to have a cluttered house.

5. I also have a compulsion for bargain shopping. I even dream about bargains in my sleep.

Sick and wrong.

6. I have to serve "fresh" food to my company. For instance, I cannot make it the night before even if it will be alright overnight because I want it to be hot out of the oven when I serve it. I don't want it to be "day old", they throw stuff out at the bakery because it's day old!

Let's see, who to tag, Melanie M., Jenni S., Jamie B., Jenni W., Lynn D., Laura B.

Pumpkin carving with the neighbors

2008-10-26T18:19:00.001-07:00

This is our third annual pumpkin carving with our good friends, our neighbors. We ate a yummy dinner, decorated cookies and carved pumpkins. I think Kaden ate a pound of candy corn. Can we say "sugar hangover" tomorrow? The boys love playing with Emily.

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

We went to our annual trunk or treat/chili cook off tonight at the church. The kids look forward to it every year. The bounce house was the favorite but eating Krispy Kremes off strings ranked right up there too.

HELP!

2008-10-22T05:22:00.000-07:00

I put Kaden in the tub last night and like a good mom was trying to get Kai's reading time in at the same time. I can mutli task right? I was just a room away and heard Kaden frantically say, "my toy" and then heard the toilet flush! He flushed a bath toy down the toilet. I had to hurry out to ward council so didn't really have time to deal with it, I just advised the boys to use the other bathroom. We're all good until this morning. Kaden, being as independent as he is, quietly disappeared while I was getting Kai breakfast and decided to go #2 in that toilet. Then Kai got the flu and "hurled" his breakfast.

As I was plunging, Kai, cheering me on from the tub said, "Do it harder mom, it can break the whole wide sewer, that would be awesome".

Has anyone had to retrieve a bath toy from the toilet before? We are wondering if Matt won't have to take the whole toilet apart??? Trust me, I'll plunge all day but those little plastic bath toys are just the right size to stop up the drain.

Best Buddies

2008-10-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

Kai and Hunter both had 8:00 games last night (playing other teams). I was happy to finally get them together for a picture in uniform. They met in preschool last year and immediately became best friends. They go to different schools this year so we try and get them together as often as our schedules allow.

I AM OPTIMUS PRIME!

2008-10-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

I have always been able to pick out my kids' Halloween costumes for them, but this year Kai was determined to be a transformer, specifically Optimus Prime. I looked at all the stores for this costume and the ones they have out this year are CHEESY. I got online and looked on e-bay and found one I liked and they were EXPENSIVE. Thanks to Craigslist I got Optimus Prime for $10. "Transformers, robots in disguise..."

We made history!

2008-10-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

We have long awaited this moment. When we moved to Jacksonville 3 years ago from Colorado we were sorely disappointed that there was no Chipotle, the best burrito joint ever. Matt even sent in a proposal to Chipotle (pictures and all) letting them know where they could build one here (that's how desperate we were). We were so excited when we heard the news that we were getting not only one but two Chipotle's in Jacksonville!! We were among the first to enter it's doors this morning at 11:00 a.m. Everyone in line seemed to be a "transplant" to the area having eaten at Chipotle somewhere else in the U.S. Not a parking spot to be had when we left at 11:30.

Goodbye Moes!

Florida living at it's finest!

2008-10-13T15:37:00.000-07:00

So I turn the corner as I am making my nightly clean up rounds and what do I see? You got it, Ricky the Roach! This is on the INSIDE of my kitchen door. Les, this picture is for you. I know you couldn't believe that I'd have a roach in my house but here ya go! Like what do they possibly think they are going to find to eat in my house! Sorry Timi but if they get in the house it's an ultimate death wish, death by vacuum or bottle of Raid. I take no chances, when I say bottle, I mean bottle, nobody gets out alive.

Proud Mom Moment

2008-10-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

I just have to share...

Kai had a game cancelled on Thursday night due to the weather. It was going to be against his best friend, Hunter's team (the one game we REALLY wanted to play this season). The coach wanted to reschedule the game for Sunday so I e-mailed and told him our preference would be Wednesday. Today at the park the coach was talking about a Sunday game to the kids and Kai was the ONLY child to speak up and say, "coach Joe, we go to church on Sunday, I can't play on Sunday". He kept trying to get his coaches attention, "Coach Joe, I go to church on Sunday". I was so proud that at such a young age he'd stand up for his beliefs! :)

What's wrong with this picture?

2008-10-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Can you tell me what the date is today, October 9 and we are STILL swimming?? This is for those of you who woke up to 27 degree weather this morning.

The morning wouldn't have been complete without these

2008-10-04T11:14:00.000-07:00

Since we had to get up so early this morning I decided to go pick up a treat. We are fortunate to live close to the local Krispy Kreme. Since it's fall, they are now serving their pumpkin spice cake doughnuts, YUM!