Big Helper.

We decided to get our park strip done(finally) a couple weeks ago. Lexi thought she could help dig the holes for the trees.










Then she decided she could be more help by just sitting on Peter while he dug the hole.

I guess it worked cuz now we have 3 cute little baby trees! (3rd tree not pictured, obviously, but just in case you thought I couldn't count)

Drive-in

Last weekend we kicked off summer with our first trip to the drive-in with our friends. Good times, we love the drive-in and can't wait for a summer full of it...if someone would just let mother nature know that it's summer...that would be great! (if I am sick of the cool weather...you know it's getting old!).....(not a word come july/august and I am whining about the heat!):)

Really?

My niece graduated from High School last week. It is crazy because that girl was 6 when I married Peter and met her! I certainly haven't gotten that much older so I don't know how she did!:)
It's Stacy 2nd kid to graduate so I shouldn't complain...she's SO much older than me:)

The graduate, Anna, with her mom, 2 sisters and one of her brothers. (her older brother just left on a mission a few months ago, and her dad has been in Iraq for the last year and a half)

I got teary eyed at the ceremony and all nostalgiac about her growing up and she isn't even my kid! I am in trouble when my kids get that old:)

Diva

Lexi has discovered dressing up and the other day she came downstairs and had cooked up this doozy all by herself. She got to the bottom of the stairs and just stood there with her arms out as if to say "look how fabulous I am". Such a cute little diva!:)

Sports

ahhhh, sports. They rule our lives for so many months and I am happy to say that we are done until August! yay, we are excited to have nothing for the next couple months of summer break.

Devin had his last baseball game yesterday, and this is a pictue of his team, the Ranger's. He was in machine pitch this year. His last soccer game was last saturday.
devin is in the top right corner.


Hadley finished up his first (and last) year of competition soccer a couple weeks ago (hooray!) We are going back to rec soccer with some of the other kids from his team and his old coach. The comp was a great opportunity and Hadley learned so much and we had a lot of fun traveling around and made some great friends. But, with Devin getting older and doing more sports himself, the comp team is just too much for us. My hubby works so many hours that I am left doing all the carpooling and work myself and I just can't do it anymore. I am so glad that Hadley was ok going back to rec, it makes my life so much easier!:)

4th Grade Utah Program

First, I have to say that it is just crazy that I have a kid old enough to do this...I swear it was just a few years ago that I was a dancing spud in my 4th grade Idaho program:)

Hadley is on the left, he would look anywhere and everywhere but at my camera cuz he knew I was trying to get a picture. Little stinker.

Hadley and his best friend, Quinton, after the program.

I may be bias...but watch out when these two get to highschool...they are gonna be a couple of heartbreakers:)

Some of Hadley's Indian artwork he did this year.

This page was in his Utah binder he made and I thought it was funny and so true!:)

You did a great job Hadley! Now, please quit growing up so quickly!!!

California 2011

We made our annual trek to Southern California the first week of May this year. We invited our friends, the Willie's, to go with us. As usual, it was loads of fun....we love the beach!


Lexi enjoying the drive...ok, not really. That long of a drive is never fun with little kids, to be honest tho, this was the best they have ever been on that drive.




We went to Legoland. We told the boys this was probably our last year going, we will start moving up to Disneyland and Universal Studios next time. They had mixed feelings about that:)





To celebrate the opening of the new Star Wars exhibit, they had sand sculpters make a cool Star Wars sculpture.

The kids had fun riding rides with their friends.

I had to put these next two pics in cuz Lexi is scared to death of pretty much anything and we forced(kinda) her to go down this slide. The top pic is devin looking bored to death on the slide and underneath is Lexi, who was absolutley terrified:)

But she loved the horse ride.

She wasn't sure about the helicopters.

But she liked driving cars with Amber(in the yellow car).

We ate fish n chips at the harbor...they were sooo yummy! They also had the best clam chowder ever!

Devin was pouting cuz Peter was giving him fish ears:)

The whole gang playing on the beach.

Peter and Craig working on their sand castle.

Lexi loves the beach! For being such a scaredy cat, she has taken to it much faster than the boys ever did.

Hadley, taking a break from the rough work of sand castles.

Hadley and Spencer getting ready to go hit the waves.

One of the people fishing on the pier let Hadley reel in their catch.

Lexi and Peter having a moment on the pier.

All the kids, plus Peter, on the pier.

Megan, Hadley, Spencer, Devin, Amber, Lexi and Peter.

We did lots of swimming at the resort pool.

And of course, we can't go to Southern Cali and not go to Sea World!:)

And we finally got Hadley to go on Journey to Atlantis with Peter.

We got to watch them move the Flamingo's.

Lexi was mesmerized by the sting rays. We were pretty bummed that Forbidden Reef was closed, but there will be a cool new sting ray exihibit next time we go.

We fed the Sea Lions.

We fed the dolphins.

And finally got to see the new dolphin show, we missed it by just a few weeks the last time we were there. I have to be honest and say I didn't love it. It was quite wierd and I had a hard time not laughing really hard.

I mean, come on, how are you supposed to keep a straight face when they have people in wierd spandex outfits, and a lady dressed like a parrot twirling above you the whole time...we were there to see dolphins not circ du soleil!:)

We played at the beach lots. Lexi just had to be buried after she saw another little girl doing it.

Devin had lots of fun finding crabs.

The boys waiting for their crab at Joe's.

I'm telling you...we were meant to live at the beach.....someday(probably not).

Lexi hitching a ride back to the resort one night on big brother's shoulders.

on our way home we stayed the night in St. George and the kids had a blast playing in our friend's pool.

As usual, it was a great trip. Thanks to the Willie's for joining us and making it even funner!

Easter

I feel like I should catch up on a few posts...yet I have no desire to do so, so I can't think of anything to write:)
sooo...here's the kids with their Easter goodies and coloring eggs. I am lame and didn't get a picture of them in their new church clothes.

This was Hadley bossing everyone around:)

Painting.

We have been in our house over a year now and I have only gotten the main floor and Hadley's room done...I know, I am a failure! Maybe I can do a floor each winter and it will only take 3 years:)
It's not that exciting but here are some pics of what we have done....I know, try to contain your excitement.

First, proof that Peter helped!:)

My kitchen, I am still totally in love with my cabinets. I am so glad we spent the money on the upgrade and got what I really wanted so that I can just be happy:)

Dining room

Family room. The blue looks alot brighter in the picture than it really is, it's a really muted beachy blue and I love it. I love that I am finally getting to do my beach themed color pallete with my decorating!

In an attempt to stop their fighting, and show Hadley that we realize that he is getting older and needs his own space, we did the basement bedroom for him. It took us a while cuz we had nothing for it, had to buy the bed, dressers...all the furniture. Luckily he was patient with us and he loves it.

And the masterpiece....his shark mural. If you don't know, Hadley is obsessed with marine life, but especially sharks. He LOVES them. When shark week comes on, we don't see him most of the week. He loves to watch it and insists that someday we will see him on it.

FINALLY got my front room turned into my office. So nice to finally have the boxes unpacked and not be embarassed when people come over!:)

These two pics are of the hallway on our main floor...please ignore the buckets of soccer uniforms:)

And, of course, the tour wouldn't be complete without the potty, right?:)

And there you have the main floor of our house. Hopefully it won't take clear until next winter to get the other two floors done! We have the opportunity to buy the lot behind our house which will more than double the size of our backyard so we are gonna be, not only really busy with the yard, but also pouring every extra penny into it, so paint may have to wait.