It's......mostly done

OK... I know I thought that this project would be done months ago. Boy have I eaten my words! We have mostly finished rocking our archways. Well, I guess you could say we were done with our part over a month ago, but we paid a friend to do the finishing touches (grout between the rocks). So, most of it is done.... enough for me to show some pictures and call it good for a while. This project has tried my patience, I consider a week project long, little alone a 2-3 month project. Anyway, here are some before and after pictures, you can judge how badly we hurt or helped our house. I love it.

I love this stage!

As crazy as this last week has been getting back into the swing of things - I have just been reminded how much I really love my life right now!! I have so much more freedom! It is so nice to be able to play with my kids or sit and watch Travis discover the world instead of holding him ALL THE TIME! I love watching his cute little body maneuver over things and attempting to hold a conversation with him. Whitney is at a great stage too - old enough to watch Enchanted with us and when Prince Edward tried to awake Jezell from her sleep with a kiss.... and she didn't she yelled out "IT DIDN'T WORK!" It's fun to see that she still has such a zest for life. Although sometimes it takes every fiber not to freak out when Whitney ignores me or when most of the food on Travis' tray purposely ends up on the floor while he laughs about it, I wouldn't want it any other way.

For memories sake I just have to share something funny my kids do all the time now. Whitney has always been pretty creative on what she can stand on to reach new heights. Currently her choice has been one of Travis' play tables. It enables her to do one of her favorite hobbies - look at all the different Video covers and decide which she likes best. She honestly will just pull them out and look and the cover for a minute and then figure out how it fits back in. Apparently Travis thought this looked fun because he has started in on it. So when I hear all the different music the table plays go off, I know they are on it. When I hear Travis' attention getter scream.. I know he is stuck and can't figure out how to get down.

On Friday and Saturday Whitney got to go to her first princess birthday parties. She was so excited to have a reason to get all dressed up.

Also on Saturday my family had a get together since Matt and Lacy were in town. It was fun chaos. I love my family, I love how everyone wants to have fun and we can kick back and enjoy ourselves. Thanks mom for hosting - we had a great time, Whitney is already asking when we can do it again.

Here is some footage I've been trying to capture for a while. Travis has an obsession with phones. Funny thing is this last week he has been saying something on the phone and then laughing...... he must have been watching Grandma talk on the phone when she was here :)

To the Ohio's

This last week I was able take a get-a-way/dental trip to Cleveland. I was able to be Bryan's patient for his western-boards. It was a really fun trip. I left Tuesday hoping that my kids would be good for their grandma and dad. When I heard later that day that they were doing great with Grandma I was able to relax and enjoy my trip. It was fun to see Bryan as Doctor Bryan - he will definately be a great Dentist! It was really fun to be able to play with Zach, Austin, and Avery and see their personalities. We played a lot of pretends - fighting bad guys, going to the restaurant, playing scientist in the dirt. Some of my favorite themes were: 1) While playing scientist outside in the dirt we discovered Indian clay. 2) Pretending the Dandelions were bad guys and shooting them with our water guns. Avery always seemed to get captured so I could save her. 3) my most favorite - I was eating breakfast at Red Robin with 2 cops and decided to rob it. Of course I was captured after a long fight and put in Jail. Luckily the cops on duty kept falling asleep and conveniently leaving their knife right by me to escape. Jail wasn't so bad since I was able to order anything from Red Robin that I desired while there. 4) fighting with their foam light sabers.

It was so fun to play such imaginative play - they are some smart energetic kids that I miss and had so much fun with. Thanks to Amy and Bryan for the free dental work :), the fresh pineapple and twizzlers, my new fashion trend, cds, and good memories. I really appreciate it.

By the time I got to the Airport on Sunday I was very anxious to see my kids - it's amazing how after not seeing them for a week they seem to change. How easily I forget all their cute details. I hope to never forget Whitney running to me and giving me the biggest hug ever at the airport - it still makes my heart melt just thinking about it!!

Amy and Avery were very generous and gave a bunch of Avery's old clothes to Whitney. She was excited about the clothes but was ecstatic about the "dance shoes" that she got. I was laughing so hard just watching her freak out over them. Travis had to get in on it too, so after climbing into the suitcase and checking everything out we put his new snow boots on him. It was definitely entertaining. Here is some footage. Thanks mom and husband for sacrificing your time this week to watch my kids - I am so grateful.


My Montage 4/28/08

Pretty Princess

I remember my mom saying how she tried to get me to like prissy things growing up like - the color pink :). But the more she tried the more she realized some kids just came a certain way - and I was a "tom boy" through and through (sadly I looked a little to much like tommy boy). Well, I'm experiencing this first hand now through Whitney. She is such a girls girl. If she could she would wear a dress everyday, play dress-ups, put on make-up, get her ears pierced, wear high heels, and dance like princesses. I really don't have a problem with it, since she does know how to through and kick a ball too. It just cracks me up how I could have such a prissy daughter. But really I think she just might have an easier childhood playing barbies with friends than me pretending to like playing barbies with friends but wishing I was playing football or soccer outside like the boys were. Yesterday all the kids were out in the neighborhood and two of her friends had on their "pretty dresses". Whitney ran inside our house in almost an excited panic yelling "I've got to get my pretty dress like Hallie has." So we slapped on one of her pretty dresses and she ran off to play as happy as could be. Although I still don't completely understand this it is so cute. So I had to get a picture.

good grief - it's April!!

Ok - this has been the longest winter ever!! I am so sick of only being able to go outside for 5 minute intervals because it's so dang cold. I had hope for today - according to the weather man last time I checked it was supposed to get warmer and then have a really nice weekend. So when I woke up to snow today, sure it was pretty and all, but christmas was 3 months ago! Last night me, Aaron, Emily, and Neal went to play tennis - it was a painful experience -tennis is meant for good weather!!! Sorry to complain again, but this winter business is killing me!

Whitney said I should name this post Emily

Alright here is a random post (mostly to please Melissa - hope this will fill your tank until I actually have something to post). Emily (my sister-in-law) came for my birthday from Houston (I mean on my birthday :)) to hang out with her siblings before they both leave on missions. This last weekend we went up to Idaho because Bethany was going through the Rexburg Temple. Due to my kids being incredibly demanding - I was the babysitter. My kids were acting a little sick and wierd before we left - but oh man, if I knew what I was in for with them I definitely would have stayed home!! Both of my kids struggled sleeping (Travis just screamed every time I put him down!) and were as I call it emotionally unstable. We were quite the site - enough so that we headed home early to get some sleep and sanity. On a positive note though we hopefully only have 2 more days of cold here and my kids are slowly improving. Here is some funny footage of Travis playing basketball, I took it a while ago - before he started to get sick. He is definitely a baller and even shows emotion.

Here is a picture to counterbalance Mr. Jock. Here is Travis wearing Whitney's Belle shoes and wanting to go outside. He is well rounded.

Best Birthday!!

I Just had to post about the best birthday I had yesterday!! I was spoiled by everyone and was given plenty of freedom. Thanks to all my family and friends for remembering that I'm a fool - it made my day perfect! I started out the day by going to GTU (good things utah - tv show) with my mom, Lori, Selly, and Lindsay. It was really fun to see the "girls" in action and watch it all live - plus we got some tv time at the end! Afterwards we did lunch and it was so nice to eat out with no kids. Afterwards Emily flew in from Houston and her and Bethany babysat the kids so me and Aaron could go Snowboarding. I have been dreaming about going snowboarding for 7 yrs. now and haven't been skiing for 4. It was an absolute blast!! My toosh is pretty sore today from some good crashes - but it was so worth it. Thanks again everyone for your thoughtfulness, I should just list everyone and thank you for everything on the blog - but please just take my general THANK YOU!!! What a great day! Here's some pics from GTU.