Catching up again....
Very condensed version of the last 5 months of our lives. Ugh. Why can't I stay caught up?
Very condensed version of the last 5 months of our lives. Ugh. Why can't I stay caught up?
*JANUARY*
New Years' Eve. Ansley stayed up...
...Nate didn't quite make up.
Josh participated in a high school basketball clinic. The high school team taught the kids and Josh loved it! After the clinic was over, the kids who participated got to run on the varsity team and warm up with them in their first home game. Josh thought that was pretty cool.
Basketball...tons of basketball.
Nate was on the middle school "C" team this year. He had great coaches and learned a lot. They played a ton of games. Some of those games were a little lopsided. Our little farm boys played some huge, inner-city, very experienced teams. Learning experiences...right?
Does this match-up look fair to you? I didn't think so. Poor Nate.
January brought us Chicken Pox. Thanks January. Claire and Eli both had them. I don't have any pictures of Eli because he only had about a dozen spots. He had the vaccine last year, so his case was mild. Claire hasn't had the shot (no vaccines for her, thanks to ITP) and she was covered. She was pathetic. Very sad.
Kyle (& Tuna) speaking to a class for Career Day and the elementary school. He gets talked into it every year. The kids love the weapons they bring and ask lots of very interesting/hilarious questions.*February*
More basketball. This particular game was at a private Jewish school. A much better match-up for our boys. The school itself was amazing. Our poor public school kids didn't know what they were missing until we went there. Ignorance is bliss.
Winter "Camp". Kyle went with Nate's scout troop on their winter "camp". I use the term "camp" lightly since they slept in a beautiful, warm cabin and spent the all their time sledding. There was a ton of snow.
Up the hill (by 4-wheeler...they didn't even have to walk...camp...right)...
... Down the hill.*MARCH*
Ansley went to cheer competition in Las Vegas. These poor girls had some very sad coaching this year...several coaches...no consistency...etc. At the last minute, their coach from last year stepped in and got them ready for competition. They needed a lot of work and only had 2 weeks. These girls worked their butts off. We were so proud of them. They took 1st place in their Pom Dance and 3rd place in Show Cheer (which was a flippin' miracle...some of the teams they competed against were college caliber...amazing). They were awesome and didn't have any mistakes and didn't drop a single stunt. They were amazing.
Claire's 3rd Birthday.
She was SO excited for her birthday! She got a "big girl" bed and bedding, clothes, and a few toys. She was thrilled. She did miss her crib a little, but has adjusted beautifully to her big bed.
We had been telling Claire for weeks that on her 3rd birthday that she had to throw away her "paci's" because 3 year olds can't have them. So, on her birthday, we gathered them all up and she willingly threw them in the trash. She never looked back. She did ask for them once in awhile, but it was very easy to break that habit. Hooray! Wish it was that easy to break my diet soda habit.
First night in her big girl bed. I can't believe my baby is 3. The past 3 years have flown by. She is the boss in this house and I don't know how we ever got along without her. We love this little girl so much!
Josh's 9th Birthday. Josh with his birthday brownies. He always picks brownies over cake. That's my boy!
We had the Whitmore kids that night so our little family party turned into a big PAR-TAY! We had 5 of the Whitmore's and our 5...10 kids...no biggie...I could do it. They had a lot of fun and it made Josh's birthday all the more special.
Josh begged...literally begged for a new bike (his old bike was totally destroyed from lots of jumping, dirt trails, sun and sprinklers). We were happy to oblige. We sent him on a treasure hunt for it and he finally found it at the neighbors. He was so excited about it. Josh is so calm and doesn't show a lot of emotion so, I love it when he does.
First jump.*APRIL*
Easter egg hunt in the backyard on Saturday before Easter.
The kids got to check out their baskets before the hunt in the backyard. Nate was a little tired and less than enthusiastic...pre-teens...ugh!
Eli loves candy...no really...LOVES. I think he ate everything in his basket before breakfast. Good thing we don't have candy very often.
Claire with her bounty.
Ansley and Claire on the hunt.
Kyle had surgery to remove a cancerous tumor in April. Scary and faith-building experience. To read the whole story, go here .
The day after surgery. Much better.
When Kyle has surgery, his parents came to stay with us and help with the kids. After Kyle was feeling better, we took them to our friends, the Kellers, to ride horses. Kyle's dad rode all the time growing up on a sheep ranch, but hasn't ridden in years. Kyle thought it would be fun for his dad. They had a great time and us women-folk just watched and took care of the kids. It was a nice night.
Kyle's dad. Must be like riding a bike...he didn't forget a thing.
Nate. He loves riding and he has NO fear.
2 weeks after Kyle's surgery, Kyle had an appointment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake. We made it a quick trip and only took Eli and Claire. Eli and Claire had a fun day playing with cousins and we so worn out that they feel asleep sitting up, watching a movie.*MAY*
May, of course, mean May Day Dance. This year, Eli did the parachute dance and Josh did a square dance (much to his dismay).
Josh holding hands with a girl. He did NOT want to do this dance. He kept telling us, up until we dropped him off at the school, that he was NOT going to do it. He did and it was cute. He was humilated.
Eli sauntering his way over to his spot on the parachute. He is so cute. He loves to put his hands in his pockets.
Fathers and Sons Campout. Kyle took the 3 boys and they had a blast. They hiked, played in the dirt, played with fire (cringe), played with friends, ate good food, slept in a tent, pee-d outside and even killed a rattlesnake. What more could boys ask for?
Every year, the 3rd grade has to perform chautauqua reports. It is a report on a hero from the past (who has died) and they give the report as if they are that person. Josh did his on Steve Irwin-The Crocodile Hunter. He was so nervous, but did a good job. It was a lot to memorize and he didn't mess up at all. He thought he would forget it all when he got up there. We were very proud of our shy boy. This was definitely outside of his comfort zone.
At the end of May, Ansley had her middle school graduation. It is a pretty big deal here. We spent the weekend of the Fathers/Sons campout looking for a dress. We had a good time shopping, just the girls (Claire included), and going out to dinner. She found a dress she really liked that was very nice, but not to fancy to use for church. She looked beautiful.
Ansley and her friend, Cymoni. The chamber orchestra played the prelude music at the graduation.
Ansley and her escort, Logan. She was SO happy that her escort was taller than her.
Lots of friends...all dressed up.So, that is a sad representation of the 5 months of our lives, but it is the best I am willing to do right now. Hopefully, I can stay caught up...I know...not gonna happen. I've got to dream...right?
