Our Own Private Disneyland!!!!

We finally finished our backyard playground... thanks to Trent. I love that this is the kind of 'daddy' these little ones have. We have already paid for it in use time and again. I'm out here listening to 'posh, posh, pease!' and mom... 'can you bring me a popsicle?' for at least 7 hours a day.... the smiles and giggles are totally worth it.

LITTLE PIGGIES!

Bound and determined that this past Sunday I wouldn't show up with a mop head for a toddler.
They turned out so darling, but I didn't have the reaction I thought I would...
I cried at church that my little baby is all grown up... I think next week she will be off to college...
So sad.

Hershey Track Meet 2009!

Haillie came home with her sign up paper and informed me that she would be competing in ONLY the softball throw ~ her words: "I am AWESOME at that", but nothing else. You can imagine how that sat with me... and how it wasn't the answer I wanted or was willing to hear. So I kindly informed her that she WOULD be running, that she WOULD be running the 50 meter dash, AND that her tiny little legs WOULD be racing around the entire track as she ran in the 400 meter race.
She needed to understand that she would be running in all these events for the sole purpose of dad and mom being able to scream and cheer for her from the stands.
Then I proceeded to let her know that she would also be in TRAINING for this event and that Dad would be taking her to the track and teaching her the tricks to finishing the dreaded 400 (mom would have loved to, but mom's belly is bulging from a Nov due date - so she will sit on the sidelines and eat - and cheer).
Well, the big day came, and the excitement grew as she reached the stands filled with crazy 3rd graders, and noticed the junk food for after her races - I'll explain my idea of junk food some other time, we'll just say it isn't the same as Haillie's, but I did conceed on a few things.
When her races came she was pretty excited! She was in the last heat for the 50 M and came in 3rd - she was speedy for sure! Then she and Dad took off to do the softball throw and she came in 2nd in her line, but lost out to further throws. Then the 400 (no break in between all these events). I could not have been more proud! She was amazing! She followed her Dads instructions and really proved herself as a runner - even with tiny little legs to carry her. She did a fantastic job and made it the whole way around with no stops - she even sprinted from the 200 on! She was incredible and we had the time of our lives cheering her on!

To my future track star: life is a lot like a 400 M... just put one foot in front of the other and you'll eventually get EXACTLY where you need to be. Don't worry about the end from the beginning, just keep moving forward! And though sometimes you may not be able to see or hear them, you have loved ones that are watching your every step, and cheering for you with their whole hearts... you are one of the lucky ones who will NEVER run your race alone... NEVER!

Haillie's biggest fan!

Taking a break from all the excitement!

The Unending Wedgy!

It can't feel good to have that much material stuffed up there... yet as many times as I pull it out, she manuvers it right back up there.
I really think she's fine with it. And by how dang cute this picture is... so am I.

Lemonade Anyone???

A couple days ago Hai and Madi (my other daughter, seriously, she's here and Hai is there at her house that much) decided to 'do a business'. So they made the lemonade, got the cups, made the poster, set up the lawn chairs and umbrellas (which blew away in the 40 degree weather). At first business was a little slow... yet the lemonade was disappearing... wierd huh?!?
Then the nieghbor boys got wind of the .25 cent deal and gorged themselves - all the while paying for every refill, every straw, etc.
The girls came out a whopping $4.00 richer... pretty sweet!

My favorite part of this poster is where Hai wrote 'mmmm'. It says so much about her, I can't even explain.

Darling Girls - love them so much!

Beautiful Haillie!

We finally got around to getting this darling little girl's hair cut. She looks gorgeous!

Spring is in the Air...

Just a few moments from our day...
love these girls!

Favorite Party Pics...

March Visiting Teaching Message...

For the past year and a half or so I've been in a ferocious fight with a ficticious immortal vampire, trying in vain to win back the heart of my one and only, Jenibella. However, expectations have been set so high, I fear that I am losing the battle.

What was I thinking? How could I, just an average Joe, expect to compete with someone who is 10 times stronger and who's heart has 100 times the capacity to love than the average human being?

Nevertheless, I will not give up the fight. I will spend the rest of my life and immortality enhancing my listening skills, training my lips to make the perfect pucker, showing love without bounds, until I too sparkle like diamonds in the sunlight!

Curse you, Edward!

Love you Jen!

Party Time!

Easiest Party Ever Planned!!!! Totally worth the $250.00 - oh, wait it was free!
Haillie turned 9 officially -though a couple weeks later than usual - by having her b-day party at MY GYM
in Draper (this is the party that I won on TV)... it turned out to be so much fun. I loved being able as a mom to be able to visit and not run around like a chicken with my head cut off.
Almost all the Haillie's cousins were able to make it, and even her mom (Michelle), Chis, Haiden and Grandma Gay from Missori. What a treat!

Swinging rings - that, of course, Haillie got to do first - being the BDAY Girl.

Taryn sneaking in to enjoy the baby gym, and below, Macy and Lauren hitting the slide and ball bath!

Party Part II

Ash is back!

Ash came back to show me AGAIN how to use my computer...
thanks!

Cuddle Time

One of my favorite pictures... it says so much about our love for Jesse!

Ash just taught me how to 'super-blog'... nice huh... maybe there will be more posts. Yah, ASH!!!!

haillie update...

-Our History Buff-
Haillie scored an incredible 99% on a tough History test about the Revelutionary War. She did so well that her test was placed on the bulletin board in front of the school.

Ok, not the best picture of her... I think it was my fault. I had asked her earlier that morning if I got dressed (meaning not wearing my pj's) could I walk her into school and take a picture of her by her award-winning test? She said sure, so I went and put some jeans and a sweatshirt on.
But when I got out of the car to walk with her, this was her comment with a bit of disgust, "Mom, I thought you said you'd get dressed?" I said, 'I did'. And then my daughter actually did a huffy breath at me. Apparently I need help in the fashion department... I told her I'd call Aunt Erica or Kristin to get some tips.
Another mounting problem... all of a sudden Haillie's hair is a static-fuzz mess all the time. Suggestions, please!!???!!!

-Scooby DOO-
Haillie took this pic last night as Jesse lounged on the couch (don't tell Trent). Doesn't he look a bit like that lovable great dane?

-Music Maker-
She had her first piano lesson yesterday and came home so excited. Loves her teacher and lOVEs to practice. I actually got to say that if she finished her homework quickly she'd have MORE time to practice. What a fun moment.

LOVE, love, LOVE this girl.

Couch Potato...

What have I begun here? All of a sudden, all I hear is 'watch movers, watch movers'... all day long. Imagination Movers (that darned disney channel and all there cute shows) is all she wants when she's tired, or sad, or hungry, or in the car for too long.
She has her 'special seat' to sit in and as she watches the show, she comments 'NIIIIIIIIIICCCE!'
Oh, we're going to have to cut this off right now!!!

Workin' for the Man!

My sweetheart, and the girls' daddy is workin' some SERIOUS overtime to get the tax info out to ALL the company's employees - all over the world... well, I think that's what he's doing, maybe not, but it's something big, that takes a ton of time at work! So, to show our support, 'his girls' have made a list of why our MAIN MAN is so wonderful...

1. He shows (not just speaks of) his loyalty. Let me explain... whether it's work, or marriage, or parenting, or church callings, or working out, or eating healthy, Trent is loyal and dedicated to his decision.
2. He is a perfectionist... I know, who would have ever thought I would think of this as a good thing ...and I know that Trent is going to get a good laugh when he reads that I'm thankful for that trait... but I am coming to a real appreciation for it. It shows that he cares for what is his, or what his name is attached to.
3. He lives in the details of life... that is why we have 'Snow Melted Hot Chocolate' on our snowshoeing trips, that is why every employee will have the exact information they need for their taxes this year (on time) and that is why I wear a ring with mine and Taryn's birthstone in it. It's all because HE thinks of it.
4. He is a thinker! He is smarter than he knows!
5. He is wicked funny! He is so stinkin' witty. He has the most hillarious poems, jokes, and sayings; I love to be around him so that I can catch his sarcastic, teasing comments that have me in stiches (mostly because they are about me... and they are sooooo funny, yet pretty much true).
6. He is, after a long, strenuous, stressful, back-breaking day at work, still a GREAT daddy when he comes home. If I could show everyone what TRUE joy looks like, it would be watching Taryn and Haillie when they hear the garage door rattling open! Their screams, total delight, and giddiness only come because they know that when he comes through that door he won't ignore them, go right for the TV and veg for 2 hours, but he will hug and kiss them, pick them up in his (seriously muscular) arms, dance around the kitchen with them, read stories, cuddle, listen to their school day, finish homework, jokingly tease, tickle, and chase them until they are sweetly tucked into bed with many kisses and wishes for good dreams... then he comes out and gets back to work (refer back to loyalty to company, or perfectionism at this point :).

We could go on and on... we love him so much, and want him to know how proud we are that he is working so hard for our family!
We miss you, Trent, but LOVE you and will be waiting for you just inside the garage door!!!

SNOW DAY!

Today we packed up the gear, loaded the girls in the car - along with Jesse (I should have got a picture of that) and headed for the mountains. Haillie and I got snowshoes for Christmas (Trent got his last year) and we needed to break them all in. After turning around only once to get something I forgot to pack, we got to the end of the plowed canyon road. It didn't take us long to get our 'shoes' on, which is nice for a family with NO attention span and a limited amount of patience. Taryn LOVES the backpack so she was totally willing to get in and we were off. Walking in the backwoods is so refreshing and peaceful (minus ALL the motors from snowmobiles). We hiked up the trail a ways, then stopped to play around, explore and heat some snow to make hot chocolate. It started to snow a bit as we were packing up to head home which made a beautiful backdrop for the forest. What a perfect day we've had as a family!

Sippin' some COCOA!

Taryn's favorite place in the snow... easier to eat!

A sweet moment caught on camera

Our little hikers

"Haillie's Rock"

Setting up the burners and collecting snow!