s'all wright

2011-04-15T23:18:00.002-06:00

I need to record a conversation that Kyrk and I had the other day. It went a little something like this....
Me, "I went over my budget again this month! Sorry, but I'm really trying!"
Kyrk (very nicely), "Well, maybe if you didn't spend so much on the house. You always buy bins and boxes and stuff."
Me, "WHAAT?!? I do NOT buy bins and boxes for the house! I think you THINK that I buy more than I really do."
Kyrk just nods and smiles that smile....

Fast forward a couple of days and I am yet again hauling my cart down the aisles of Wal-Mart. For some reason that I cannot recall, I am gloriously by myself. Whenever I am by myself I do tend to wander towards some aisles I will not name at this point. While I am wandering this song comes over the speakers

Hold me, hold me
Never let me go until you've told me, told me
What I want to know and then just hold me, hold me
Make me tell you I'm in love with you

Come on, you know it.... For some reason this song comes on every time I near my aisle. Did I say "MY" aisle, I mean this aisle.
As this song is playing I. see. it. IT. It is perfect. I need it in my life. Well, in my pantry anyway. It is a bin that compliments my existing bins in my pantry PERFECTLY. And I just happen to need a bin for my breads, of course. I pick it up and giddiness is coursing through my body when a voice comes into my head...."YOU ALWAYS BUY BINS....." Oh no. no no no. What am I going to do? If I buy it that means he's right. But what if I put it back, they could be gone next time. There are only 87 left, I counted. I am so torn! I MIGHT have debated for twenty min. but who's counting. I put it back, I swear I did! I am not sure how one, okay maybe two, ended up in my cart. I get the bin home and shamefully admit that I thought of hiding it for awhile. But... I really wanted to see how they looked in their new home (aka pantry). Maybe he wouldn't notice. I knew that was never going to fly. So when Kyrk gets home and opens the pantry and gives me the SMILE I just hold my head high and say, "You could POSSIBLY be right."
My name is Emma and I have a bin addiction. Step one.

Callin all cowboys

2010-10-23T10:27:00.006-06:00

Oh, my little Max. I don't know if anyone could have predicted how sweet this boy would turn out knowing what a horrible baby he was. Yes, I know that sounds bad, but it really only sounds bad if you didn't know him as an infant. That is another story though. My point is that he is so sweet now. Often he randomly comes and hugs me and tells me I'm the best mommy ever. He is mostly pretty mellow and is really good at sharing and making others happy. Oh, he has his moments.... but overall I am so impressed with my little buddy and what an amazing boy he is. I love you Little Monkey! Anyway...

Max has never had a friend b-day party so I decided it was his turn this year. He wanted a cowboy party. As much as I would like to believe it was for the horses and cowboy getup, I know he really just has a fascination with guns. So we started out with the invitation...

I cut them out and burned the edges, rolled them up with the tag around them and stuffed them in the barrel. When you pulled the "bang" tag- out came the invite. I thought it up all on my lonesome so I was pretty proud of myself.

Decorated all in red and blue. I had a bunch of leftover bandanna material from a long time ago that was fun to put around.

When the kiddos got here we dressed them up in felt vests, hats, bandannas, and they each got their own stick horse. I made these out of socks, random buttons I had, ribbon, and a little flannel. It cost me $25 to make 10 of them. I think that is pretty good. They were a little time consuming because I had to sew much of it by hand, but I used my time in the car wisely when we went to St. George and got a ton of it done. AND Gramsy helped put on the manes. They were so cute I'm glad I did them. The kids really had fun riding them around and they are still a big hit around here. I found a wood burner in my old stuff and burned their names into the sticks. What?? I know EVERYONE has a wood burner hidden in their basement somewhere!

Kami really wanted to join in, but this WAS the hat we were trying to use for a game.

We played a few games: lasso the horse (with a hula hoop), throw the badges into a hat, drop the snakes into a boot, and shoot the animals- snake, bear and rabbit(pics taped onto cereal boxes) with a rifle dart gun. I spray painted a bunch of rocks gold and they got gold nuggets when they won their games. I had everything on hand except a hula hoop and gold spray paint. Score!

Then we went out to the sandbox to find more hidden gold nuggets- they loved this part.

We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows (there is a least one plus to having an unfinished yard). Next time I need to get the longer roasting sticks- sorry kids, maybe a few singed knuckle hairs.

Now this I was really proud of!! It was my first time using fondant-not my favorite, somehow it just seems like cheating. But a belt out of frosting was just not happening. I also used it for the brim on the hat. Kyrk said it looked like daisy duke shorts, but my glare shut him up pretty fast. He has since repented in sack cloth and ashes.

At the end they went to the "Trading Post" and traded some gold nuggets for some prizes. I think a fun time was had by all! Yee ha!

I wish I had a pic of the trading post. Kyrk looked at me half way through one of my projects and said, "This isn't even for the boys, this is for you! You are so giddy!" It's true. I love coordinating themes and thinking of every possible thing that could go along with it. From invitations to games to decorating the goodie bags. Sigh, what I could do with an endless supply of time. Oh, and money. And space. And...well you get the picture.
Happy Birthday my sweet Max!

St George

2010-10-22T21:24:00.011-06:00

For UEA we headed down to St. George. We have actually never done more than just wave as we have driven past, so it was nice to visit. Kyrk did a century ride on Sat. so we decided to make a weekend out of it. Thanks to our friend Josh, we were able to have lodging (he pulled some strings at the timeshare-there were no openings but he works there! Stay tuned and I'll show you what we ended up in).

We had a lot of fun going to Snow Canyon. Short fun hikes for the kids, okay I wasn't too bummed about the short hikes, especially since I ended up carrying Malia a lot of the time.

Jenny's slot canyon.

Lots of fun cracks and holes to play in.

Ally wanted to try taking a picture.

We found some shade to have a picnic.

Kami fell asleep so we had to rig the car so that Kyrk could leave the backpack on between the hikes.

Like I said, thanks to Josh, we got to stay in the Presidential Suite. Ooh,la,la! These pics don't really do it justice. I was trying to live it up because that's not going to be happening again soon. And the best part??? I don't have to clean it!

The kids spent so much time in the pool I thought they might grow gills.
Yeah Kyrk and Amber! 105 miles!
I just don't honestly get why people would do this to themselves. They are lying on the ground groaning afterward talking about how they want to die and then at dinner they are discussing the next one! Go for it, I'll be the cheerleader on the side line. Kyrk has to push me on the back when I go up a hill. I tried to go as hard as I could on a bike and I think I hit 17 mph. When we go on family bike rides I make Kyrk pull the stroller with 3 kids in it- then I can mostly keep up. I would so much rather run up a hill then lug a bike up one. I have never been competitive (I don't think UNO counts) so I guess I just don't get the whole adrenaline thing. My stomach rolls and I'm pretty sure my face turns green when Kyrk comes home and tells me he hit 62 mph going down hill. My response is always, "Don't you love me?" We went and upped our life insurance. I figure if I have to live a lonely, sad life I might as well be rich.

Here come Jeff and Josh.

You would think this would be Daddy after 6 1/2 hrs on the bike.

We stopped by the beautiful St. George temple on the way out of town.

One year later...

2010-10-10T23:11:00.005-06:00

This was Kambria's cake. I saw the cake tattoos at the store and couldn't resist. They looked like too much fun. I really need to get a cake pedestal.

She REALLY just wanted to touch the flame.

Good thing she had lots of helpers.

I gave her the cupcake on top. I think our last two kids threw up after eating their cake. I thought this was a wise choice. So after putting a throw away tablecloth down, and taking her clothes off-
she painted with the frosting...

ate the frosting...

shared the frosting...

and was so happy!

I am not sure she really got to open one of her presents.

Happy birthday Kami!

We found Kami up on the mantle with a book and she was just chuckling to herself. Can't get much cuter than that.

Malia is 3!

2010-10-10T22:29:00.002-06:00

Malia, Malia. She is such a character. She wants so bad to be a big kid and do everything they do yet she loves to be my baby and "hold you!" She has got a set of lungs on her that is seriously scary but her laugh is so cute you can't help but laugh with her. She can be such a stinker but is so funny that it is hard to get her in trouble. One thing is for sure: she grabs your heart and you can't help but love her.
After a week of telling her it was almost her birthday, it finally came (her birthday is 7 days after Ally's). Her presents were a hit. Of course. She's three.

Malia saw this cake when we were looking for cakes for Ally and fell in love. Ally was pretty impressed with herself for helping decorate the barbie. She added a necklace, bracelet and earrings. I added sleeves. :)

This was my first attempt at baking in a bowl and I have learned some things. I can say that calmly now because I don't have frosting up to my elbows, a lopsided skirt, 3 empty cake boxes, and dozen eggs I need to return to my neighbor. I am just glad you cannot see what is under that skirt-that doesn't sound right.

Kami thinks she is so funny because she made a mess of my picnic supplies. ha. ha. ha. She also thinks it's really funny to smash crackers on the floor in the smallest pieces she can get them into. Why, oh, why do they have to go through this stage? It must be because of all the free time I have to clean up my otherwise perfectly clean house.
P.S. this is before I organized my pantry.

My baby

2010-09-13T15:26:00.005-06:00

My baby is not such a baby anymore. She just turned seven years old. At least I think she's seven. She should be seven, but sometimes I wonder if she skipped a few years. All she wanted was an MP3 player for her b-day. That is what she wanted for her cake too!?! What ever happened to My little Ponies and Rainbow Brite?

Sooo happy!

She wanted Top Raman and shrimp for her birthday dinner. Whatever- I'm just the cook.

Was it really that long ago? Time goes so fast. Too fast. I just want her to stay small for a while longer, yet I know I would never be satisfied. Every time I blink she is getting taller and saying/doing things that are more grown up. It is such a fun adventure watching her grow and I know I just have to appreciate every day with her.

alive

2010-08-18T14:18:00.008-06:00

Yes, I am alive. It has been a crazy few months as we decided to build a house, moved, unpacked, hosted family and traveled this summer. This is the point in my journal where I would skip 10 pages vowing to go back and fill in everything I had missed. Yes, you guessed it, my journal is full of blank pages. Good thing for computers that I can change the dates of my posts. Heehee. We will see how far I get. Anyway, I just wrote an email to a friend that has summed up my life for a little bit so I thought I would share.

I am doing great... I have to remind myself to go a little at a time . I want everything done right now, but after visiting some stores (Ikea, TaiPan, and RodWorks) Kyrk asked me if I wanted to eat this month. he's such a good sport cause I didn't even have to take anything back. It's a little lonely here because we don't know anyone but that's changing pretty fast. I am actually enjoying the time with my kidos since they are not running to the neighbors every second. Ally's starting 1st grade in a week and I'm all geared up to bawl just like the mothers who brought their kids to my class. She is such a big help with the other kids, I'm really going to miss her. I told her she could stay home and I would home school her and she said, "uhh, okay. But I really want to eat in the cafeteria!" Cafeteria trumps mom.
My mom just came back from living at Hil's for 6 months because Travis was in Iraq. It is good to have her back but it was nice to know that I could do my life all by my very own self. I have been feeling very high and mighty, hee, hee. But now she is back and she loves to do dishes--happy sigh inserted here. We are building, painting, rearranging, doing laundry, rearranging, still trying to hang my living room curtains-blast those things, rearranging, running Ally back to PG for play dates, okay for mommy dates too, school shopping, dirt digging, blog ignoring, decorating crazy, and kid playing. And that about sums up my life right now. OH, and I just went off sugar so I am trying to be happy. It's amazing how much sugar = happiness in my life.

And here's what has kept me so busy....

yup. Green. Bright green. And I. love. it. Go bold or go home... to my home that is. That is my new motto. People either love it or they really.... don't. Kyrk is among those who....don't. But, ahh, what an amazing man, he says if I'm happy he doesn't really care. Hmm, I wonder how far I can really take that.

also busy with...

trauma

2010-03-14T22:54:00.003-06:00

We, well Malia, has had a couple traumatic experiences lately.

First: She pooped in the bathtub a couple weeks ago. She has never done this before. I was getting jammies out while they were playing in the bath and I heard terrified screaming. I ran into the bathroom to find Ally out of the water with her feet on the sides of the tub and she's saying, "Look Malia it looks like a crab, it's going to get you!" Malia is screaming, scared to death as this piece of poop is coming near her.
She won't take a bath now. She is afraid of every little piece of lint that is in the water, worried it is going to get her. I basically have to bathe her while she is standing as fast as I can. Poor kid.

Second: I tried to potty train her. We went and got cute panties, potty treats, capri-suns, the works. She peed in her pants once and was traumatized. She wouldn't move till I got her cleaned up and then she said, "I have to go potty." She spent the next couple of hours on the toilet because I could not get her off. She was so worried she was going to wet her pants. When I would coax her off she would walk out the bathroom door and say "I have to go potty" and run back to the toilet (she never actually went in the toilet, just sat there). When I finally got her off she just cried that she wanted a diaper back on. She did not want ANYTHING to do with her panties. I gave in. Had I not given in, I think she would still be on the toilet.

discovery

2010-03-09T15:00:00.004-07:00

Thanks to Aunt Abby we have discovered Hannah Montana and this is what has happened to us... If you are not familiar with the song watch it first and then watch my kids.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlnbmZK7GxU

This is Max and Ally

and this is Malia

Smitten

2010-02-27T15:52:00.002-07:00

I am totally smitten with this little girl.
I love the way she smiles, the way she mushes into me when I hold her, I love to hear her belly laugh, and when she just sits and "talks" to herself or to me. I love it when she reaches up and touches my face when I am rocking her, the way she lights up when she sees me, I love her little fat rolls that never see the light of day, and I secretly love the way she pushes off daddy when she wants me to hold her (she's the only momma's girl- I'll take it while I can!) I just can't get enough.

A little late

2010-02-27T01:32:00.002-07:00

I am a little late but this is what we did for Valentine's Day.

Ally made sucker flowers for the girls (thank you Family Fun).

And Max made planes for the boys (okay, I made the planes and he kept flying them around and making them fall apart). If the boys liked them 1/2 as much as Max then they were a success. Wanna make some? Just wrap a rubberband through two lifesavors ( I left them in the wrappers for sanitary purposes, just poked a whole in the wrapper) and around a piece of gum. Shove a Smarties in between the lifesavors. Presto!

Instead of a doughnut bouquet this year we did a doughnut cake to take to his work. We did surprise him since we took it on Friday and it wasn't actually Valentine's. We, of course, decorated his car with reasons that we love him and other fun stuff but forgot to get the camera out. I don't know who likes this tradition more- the kids or dad?!

I just love getting a chance to tell him how much we love and appreciate him.

Skinny jeans

2010-02-27T00:19:00.003-07:00

The other day Max was playing in the girls' room and he came out with these pants on. I thought he had gotten into Malia's summer capris, which considering his size isn't that big of a deal- he can fit into 18-24 mo. stuff. Well, Mom came out and said, "Are you sure those aren't Kami's?" I looked at the tag and sure enough 3-6 months!! That brings a whole new meaning to skinny jeans.
I swear I buy him normal boy clothes.... I don't even really understand what would make his brain think-'Oh, look what I found,I want to try these tiny jeans on!' My brain seems to work the opposite way when I look at a pair of jeans- 'Don't even THINK about trying to squeeze me into those things!'

not cut out

2010-02-10T12:29:00.003-07:00

The house hunting is not going great, we have exhausted the possibilities that are out there right now and so we began to talk about building again. We went to look at some lots that were out in the "country". They were big lots for good prices. Sometimes I think it would be really nice to be a little away from it all... When we got out to the neighborhood we let the kids get out of their seat belts because, well, we were out with the cows and horses. Well, Max rolled down the window and stuck his head out. Promptly he came back in and said, " It REALLY STINKS out there!" I couldn't agree more. We just aren't cut out for the country life I guess.

ummm...

2010-01-31T21:16:00.003-07:00

So, I'm nursing Kami and Max asked, "Mom, when I was little did I eat out of your humps?" Before I could answer Ally says, "Max, they are called nibbles."

Malia dancing

2010-01-25T23:53:00.002-07:00

Dec.

2010-01-25T23:10:00.003-07:00

Decorating the tree. We did Christmas the day after Thanksgiving this year because we knew the day after Christmas it would be coming down. We wanted to enjoy it as long as we could.

We love having Gramsy with us. She sure has been a life-savor, literally, as we were packing and looking at a zillion houses. I think I would of lost my mind a while ago if not for her.

Sooo, it seems that most of the fun that goes on happens when we put the kids to bed and shut their doors. Like Max for instance. One morning after we got up we discovered that Max had some art practice after we put him to bed the night before. Found a pen and the rest is history. He has a self portrait on his arm and many other stories that accompany his drawings. You can't see it very well but he has it on both cheeks, his chin, and neck. We had the pleasure of looking at the drawings for a week until it was scrubbed/wore off.

Making gingerbread houses. The kids were excited. "You mean we can eat the houses?" I think every inch of their plates were covered with candy, because that meant it was theirs.

Doesn't really show here, but she loves her bath!

Jammy time!

The REAL Santa came to Max's preschool, Malia wouldn't have anything to do with him.

My cuties in their Christmas getup.

We found "Santa" out on the street the Sunday before Christmas. We invited him in and he had treats for all the kids. It took the kids about two min. before they whispered to us, "That's Bro. Gifford!" (Our backyard neighbors) It probably would have helped if he didn't keep scratching his head, moving the hat half way off his head! Malia would have nothing to do with him. We had tons of fun anyway. We love them and will miss having them so close.

Lining up to go down for Christmas morning.

Pixos- just what she wanted!

A stick horse never goes out of style.

Kami isn't sure about all of this.

A highlight that Santa brought was the basketball arcade game. One just like it was delivered to our house a couple weeks before- for Kyrk's friend Andrew of course. The pictures were on the outside of the box and there was weeping and wailing when Max found out we couldn't open it. Good thing Santa is so on the ball and got us one too!

A new rocking chair for Malia. And of course candy.

A new table and chairs has become the highlight and has seen many tea parties already.

Up to Travis and Hilary's for Christmas dinner.

Catching up- Nov.

2010-01-12T23:11:00.006-07:00

Okay, so I know I am really far behind, but I refuse to feel guilty because of all that has been going on. I can't remember the last time I actually did my hair in something other than a ponytail, I still have not put sheets on the kid's beds, they sleep on blankets, fast food has become the norm, and I have been trying my hardest so that my children actually remember what I look like. The blog had to take a back seat. But it is getting much better now and so here we go...

Watching Aunt Abby's BYU flag football team. We were bundled.

WE were bundled but all the girls were running around in tee shirts and shorts- CRAZY!

We found Malia singing Twinkle, Twinkle to Kami.

She is a strange child. She has found a great holding place for her apple.

She has cheeks that you just want to squeeze, or kiss, or something.

Kambria's blessing. We had lots of family come into town. CRAZY and so fun at the same time. We appreciated those who traveled so far.

Gramsy embroidered her beautiful dress.

Our little family is not so little anymore.

Moving

2010-01-11T13:59:00.002-07:00

Well, a lot of you got our Christmas card and said "What? You're moving?" Moved. It has been a whirlwind for these last few months. I am writing this story down for journaling sake so don't feel obligated.....
When Kambria was 1 week old, Kyrk, who was not supposed to be looking at houses, did and found a house he was really interested in. We went to go look at it and I really didn't like it. The house was maybe okay but it was kinda dirty and had ugly carpet and cupboards and I am holding my one week old baby thinking there was no WAY I was going to bring her into that house. I told Kyrk I didn't WANT a house like that (sounds very spoiled and I WILL blame it on the baby emotions). I got on line and found this AMAZING, beautiful, new, foreclosed house for an incredible deal. I said that I wanted a house like THAT. So we went to look at the house we refer to as the "dream house" and it was. Oh, it was..... the ending to that story is obvious since we are now renting....
Back to the story, we wanted to put in an offer on the house, but to put an offer we had to have our house on the market(online). I said that I would NOT put a sign in the yard because if this fell through we were taking the house off the market and no one would be the wiser. Long story short, we got 3 offers in 4 days. We lost the bid on the house- yes, many, many tears. We thought we would cancel everything and wait till spring but we had many people tell us we were CRAZY! And so here we were without anywhere to go, my baby was 2 weeks old and we were moving out of our house soon. Wait...did we just talk about crazy?
It is actually at these times that I really can see the hand of Heavenly Father in our lives. We felt really good about the third offer that came through, it was above our asking price and we ended up not having to move out till after Christmas. I was telling the mother of the boy I tutor that we were moving and she flipped out and told me her brother had just bought the house down the street and they aren't moving in till the summer so we could stay there. I could hear the choirs of heavenly angels singing around me. We could rent a house in our same neighborhood and Ally could stay in the same school without me having to take her there and pick her up everyday. She is actually closer to her bus stop now. Wow. Everything just kinda worked out perfectly, except the part where we haven't found a house that is. Okay, so maybe my sanity has taken a hit, but I am starting to feel whole again. I didn't mention this but in between all of this we had Thanksgiving, family for 10 days (which I loved, don't get me wrong!), Kambria's blessing, everything that goes along with Christmas, and to top it off- the day we moved was a big snow storm. The day after we finished cleaning the old house I got strep throat, then the next week, the flu. But I am feeling good now, I feel like I am looking at the world with new eyes, taking deep breaths (before my nose hairs freeze), and enjoying life for the moment- even if my house is filled with boxes!

Halloween +

2009-11-22T21:19:00.011-07:00

Malia wrapped her baby up and put it next to Kami. This bouncy chair has been so good AND so bad. Good because Kami loves to sleep in it, bad because Malia loves to pull the back down and let go and I'm so afraid that she is going to rocket the baby out of that thing.

Carving pumpkins. Ally was the only one brave enough to get her hands dirty. Malia just looked at it and said, "Dat's yucky!"

I found a little fairy costume for Malia and brought it home and so Ally didn't want to be Rapunzel anymore, she wanted to be a fairy too. They didn't have one big enough for Allyson so I bought the wings and shoes and made the rest to match. They were such adorable fairies I couldn't help but be proud of my work! :)

Malia's favorite part was the high heeled shoes I got, she wore those around for 2 weeks straight.

Pumpkin pancakes and orange milk for Halloween breakfast.

Ally loves to hold Kambria and fell asleep with her in the chair one day.

We went and visited Aunt Abby at BYU and went trick-or-treating at the dorms. They had a lot of fun and the college kids were DUMPING candy into the kid's buckets.

This is what Malia does now every time you tell her to smile.

Max was supposed to be in bed but we heard some pitter-patter of feet. A few minutes later he came downstairs. He had picked his ouchie and it was bleeding and so he went and got a bandaid himself. Too bad he missed his cut and too bad he got his hair, eyebrow, and eyelash. To make matters worse they were the stretchy bandaids and I had to cut his hair to get it out. By some miracle it came off his eyebrow and eyelash without too much of a fight. Max was really mad at me because I couldn't stop laughing.

Our little angel

She is smiling so big now. We love it.

Update

2009-10-24T09:19:00.005-06:00

Kambria's first bath

A field trip to HeeHaw Farms for Max's preschool. They have a huge slide that the kids love!

This might have been Max's favorite part.

They have horse tire swings this year.

They had a little petting zoo. We were laughing so hard because Malia was yelling at the donkey but her yells really sounded like a donkey braying so it sounded like she was trying to talk to it. Everyone around thought it was hysterical.

Malia started chasing the chickens and thought it was really fun until one started coming toward her... then she ran for her life.

Hayride. Since I had just had the baby 9 days previous I opted to not venture out on the wagon that had 3 pieces of hay to sit on that was going down the pot-holed dirt road. I started hurting just thinking about it.

Grandma Wright came to visit! While she was here we picked and peeled apples, cleaned my house and refinished my bathroom cupboards. Thanks for all your help!

Yes, Max still has the size sticker on his shirt. Unfortunately, he thinks they are cool and won't take it off. Fortunately, they only last until the first time I wash them.

The girls are so excited to help give Kambria her first full bath. Maybe a little too excited as Kami got drenched a few times. Kami was a really good sport.

Picking apples. Since I am absolutely HORRIBLE at canning and everything I can turns out going bad, I have resorted to freezing my apples. We use our peeler, slicer, corer tool (whoever invented that is pure genius) and throw them in ziplock bags. I love it. Fresh applesauce, apple pancakes or apple cobbler all year round!

Grandma and Grandpa Oggie came for a visit

Max's Birthday! We celebrated a week early so Grandma Wright could be here too. Max wanted this cake because this was the half time show we saw at the rodeo. All I can say is thank goodness for Hot Wheels. Max has been fascinated and obsessed by trick motorcycling ever since we saw them this summer. He is giddy over this cake. A bullet bike is not exactly right, but I had to work with what I could find!

Now for the real reason we had Max's birthday early... Daddy couldn't wait to give Max his present. Kyrk picked the race track out and was so excited. He is happy that Max is getting to an age where he can play with Max's toys too. It was too bad it didn't work very well and we had to end up taking it back.

Kambria Kay

2009-10-09T12:40:00.005-06:00

We welcomed Kambria into our home and our hearts on September 29, 2009.
10:15 P.M.
7 lbs. 15 oz.

19 inches

I woke up on Tuesday morning at 5:00 with contractions. They were about 6 min. apart so I figured today was the day. After laying in bed for an hour and a half I got up took a shower and packed a hospital bag, only to have the contractions slow way down. So all day long I was watching the clock as they were 45 min, 20 min, an hour, 5 min. apart. They were really random but then afternoon came and they started coming pretty hard, by dinner time I was having to stop and breath through each contraction- they were about 5 min. apart. I was ready to go in. I thought that my contractions weren't this hard when I went in with Max and I was a 7.5 with him so I thought I better go. I got there and she tells me I'm a 4. Excuse me? I was a 4 a week ago at the doctors! She monitored me for an hour and then sent me home and told me to come back when they were 2-3 min. apart. By the time I got to the car my contractions were killing but I was not going to turn around and go back- I felt so stupid. I went home and cried through monstrous contractions for an hour. I kept thinking that I would have had an epidural by now! They were still 5 min apart and I didn't care- I went back in and I was at an 8. My doctor was there in a couple of min. and I had to wait to push till Kyrk ran down and got the camera out of the car. They gave me a spinal block and it kicked in for the last two pushes. All turned out wonderful and we have a beautiful baby girl but I still don't really like that nurse very well.

Birthdays and Such

2009-10-08T16:40:00.009-06:00

So, before I had the baby I thought I would paint my toenails. Ya know, something to make you feel better when you are a blimp and can barely move. Although I don't know why I chose my toes to fulfill this need, since I could barely see them. Ice cream sounds like a much more suitable option. Anyway, Max saw what I was going to do and wanted to paint them for me. I didn't have the heart to say no and this is what happened....

I tried to talk him into a nice clear color or sparkles but no, green it is. How is it that he did the best on the smallest pinkey toe??

Happy Birthday to Malia, Happy Birthday to you. She really wanted a "kiddy" cake for her 2nd b-day and since I have this sickness, passed down from my mother, that kids get to choose whatever cake they want, I chose to give her a rice krispy treat cake. Kids love it regardless and it took me about 5 min. to mold. Frosting it was a different matter.

Somewhere along the line, she got scared of it though, and didn't want anything to do with it.
Glad I spent forever putting "fur" on this thing. Next year I might buy ice cream sandwiches.

Malia got a new toothbrush, which I think was the highlight for her. She LOVES to brush her teeth! She would brush for hours if we let her. Okay, so maybe better worded would be, she would suck on her toothbrush for hours if we let her. I have almost had to call poison control a few times when I found her sucking straight from the toothpaste tube. Now, as much as she likes to brush HER teeth, she hates for US to brush them. It is an all out wrestling match. I have to pin her down with my legs and pry her mouth open with one hand while trying to use the toothbrush with the other hand, all while trying not to get toothpaste on every piece of clothing between the two of us. This is best attempted while still in pjs for morning. Well, my dear dear friend Sarah suggested getting a spinning toothbrush. Hallelujah! She loves it so much and if I can count to 10 and be done then she will let me do it. I don't know why this is the magic trick, but I am not one to question something that works.

This is Malia eating Gramsy's salad. It doesn't really matter what Gramsy is eating, anything will do and Malia is in her lap, sharing her meal.

This was Ally's cake for her 6 year old birthday. Remember what I said about sickness? So I asked Ally what she wanted for her cake. This was her reply, "I want a cake that is half Jasmine and half Ariel because those are my favorite princesses. On the Jasmine side I want a fountain, like the one in the movie, and a cage with a bird in it. Oh, and the tiger. On the Ariel side I want part of her castle and all of her friends. Oh, and I want stairs on the castle. I think I want Belle too because she's my other favorite." Really? Anything else sweetheart? Maybe you want the castle hallowed out and I can put the princesses all eating dinner together in the dining room! Would you like that in chocolate or vanilla?

This is what she got.

She seemed pretty happy with it, even if it didn't have stairs.

Malia, on the other hand, was not very happy because she really wanted all of Ally's toys, preferably the gum and chap stick Hilary put in the purse she gave her. Thank you Hilary!

I thought I was going to be a really cool mom and instead of a party, I took Ally, Audrey and Alyssa to Color Me Mine, a pottery store. They got to pick out and paint what they wanted. I really wasn't as cool as I thought because it was the most stressed out I have been for a long time. Three little girls in a room full of breakable items, carrying paint was not a fun experience for me. I told Hilary that she owes me big time because I wouldn't let Audrey pick out the huge Bass fish that she really wanted. We are not talking about a cute little goldfish, this was a big, ugly, wide-mouthed bass that she would have sitting on her dresser at this moment.

They had fun though, and that's what matters, right?

Max on his first day of preschool. What a big boy. Malia will sure miss him. Well, she would anyway, if preschool wasn't during nap time.

Max has to pick out his own clothes everyday. He is pickier than Allyson which is hard to believe. AND he has to wear shorts and a tee shirt. If I threaten him and get him to wear pants he has to wear shorts under them and long-sleeves have to have tee shirts under. He is also positive that everything he picks out matches and won't hear of other suggestions. Usually it's just not worth the fight. I hope his teachers don't think he's neglected!

Forgot

2009-10-08T16:28:00.008-06:00

I forgot that I had a bunch of pics on our little digi. So these are pretty random.

For FHE one night we went to a park and roasted S'mores. Yum, yum. Max loves to do anything manly with his daddy.

Malia loves tomatoes! When dad picked some from his garden he didn't believe her when she wanted one but gave one to her anyway. He was very surprised that she was in heaven eating it like an apple.

So much fun with Bethany's endless supply of Build-a-Bear. Her animals have three times the wardrobe that I have!

Rides with Scott Grandpa!

Making S'mores out at Liberty Lake. Malia just opted for the marshmallows.

Playing at Coeur 'd Alene Lake.

Face painting

Malia did Abby's face. What a good sport Abby!

Ally painted Audrey to be a cat. After Ally saw how it looked she wouldn't let Audrey paint her face.

Picnic and playing at Bridal Veil Falls. Daddy and Ally hiked about as far as you could go up the face of the falls. I thought Ally would get scared but she loved it.

There is nothing like plopping rocks into the water.

2009-09-21T21:00:00.004-06:00

Daddy's birthday! The kids loved the dog cake and helped daddy with both the candles and the wrapping. Kyrk got his real presents- two kites he bought on ebay, but that wasn't very fun so I took the kids to the store and let them each pick out a present. Ally got daddy two matchbox cars, making sure one of them was a Ferrari. Max got daddy two motorcycles that race. Malia got him a bag of licorice, and I got him an electronic nerf dart board. I don't think we have ever had so much fun playing with birthday toys. The kids were as excited as could be. A low-key fun night!

A day at the zoo with Gramsy. This is her favorite place to take the kids.

Grandma and Grandpa Wright came down for a quick weekend for a mission reunion. Kevin and Carson ended up coming and the boys took off on Saturday to Las Vegas for the Spokane Shock arena football playoffs. They had a lot of fun and Max was glued the whole time. He is really into football now and wants to watch it with daddy all the time.

Ally's first day of Kindergarten. This is her favorite shirt that she just had to wear, even though it was 90 degrees out. She wouldn't let me take her to school, she HAD to ride the bus! She was so excited and I really had to hold back the tears as I waved at her little face watching out the bus window.

Ally's new adventure was soccer this fall. She LOVED it. She had such a great coach and in every game and practice she had had a perma-grin on her face the whole time.

We laughed so hard as we watched the kids just herd after the ball. Usually the goalie was turned around playing with the net, which didn't matter much anyway. There were usually about 6-7 players on Ally's team but about 3 playing because one was picking the grass, two were wrestling, and another one was picking their nose.

Huckleberry Hell.... I mean Hill

2009-09-21T14:05:00.016-06:00

I have just learned that my family given Molly Mormon label is in question after writing that title for this post. My sister-in-law, Kristen, should be happy as she has been coveting this label for many months. I would have willingly given up this label for her so there would be no contention in the family, but alas, the decision is not mine to make. Kristen, for you, or if anyone else would like this label, I will gladly sit down and teach you how to make crocheted sock for your husband, matching shirts for 12 children, how to can funeral potatoes, and all while teaching your children the harmony to Love At Home.

Now, back to my post. For my dad's reunion this summer we stayed up at Schweitzer Mountain in Northern Idaho. Absolutely beautiful up there. It is a ski resort and had fun little shops and tennis courts, a lake nearby, a craft show, and of course, huckleberries-which we LOVE! Well, driving up to the cabin I saw people out of their cars on the side of the road picking huckleberries, so when Dad and Martha asked if we wanted to go pick huckleberries I was all over it! So we hop in the car with Max and Malia (Ally stayed home) just as is and drove down to the lodge, where it was a short hike to Huckleberry Hill. Kyrk and I were a little leery when we saw people coming down the trail in full hiking gear and we looked down at our flip-flops. But I'm not one to back down so off we go... and go....and go.....

This picture was taken about 1/2 way UP the mountain. I should've taken a picture after we got down- we were filthy! We think it was about 2 miles up the mountain- not along a nice, easy, flat trail mind you- up a mountain. We kept passing people along the way that were giving me the strangest looks. I just told them Dad better know how to deliver a baby. We had no water, no diapers, nothing!

After 10 hours of hiking we got to Huckleberry Hill and the rest of our party that had gone ahead were no where to be seen. We called them and they said they were a little bit farther where the huckleberries were way bigger. We had 4 conversations like that and after about another 1/2 mile we caught up to them. We picked and picked. Okay, so they picked while I found the most comfortable rock I could see to sit on.

Peter is going to love this one! It is really hard to resist all those juicy berries.

Malia ate so many huckleberries that her diapers were purple for days. We could barely keep up picking enough to keep her cup from being empty.

This is our view as we got about 1/2 way back to the lodge. It's the first clearing you come to that you can see the lodge. I was really hurting at this point- going down hill was actually a lot harder on my hips then going up hill- so when I got to this point my eyes literally started welling up with tears. I was ready to just stay there and they could send a helicopter to come and get me. Luckily (with Kyrk and Dad being my walking sticks) I kept going because about 50 feet from our car the heavens opened and it started pouring. So all in all, it was a crazy, hard trip but I don't think I would have traded it. We did end up with a TON of huckleberries and had the most delicious huckleberry pancakes the next morning. We did decide that the kids selling a gallon of berries for $30 on the side of the road would defiantly be worth the money.

Yes, that sign says Deep Fried Twinkies and yes, we bought some. Luckily no one had a heart attack. Kyrk really liked them but I could have done without, not worth the cholesterol you can feel coursing through your veins.

Tennis was a big hit.

Out to the Oggie reunion! The diving board was a big hit with my kids this year.

and Kyrk..

Hilary and Travis put on the hit of the week- a game of Survivor. This is everyone running with water balloons on spoons.

Up to Kyrk's family for his reunion. Shooting was a highlight for Max, I couldn't believe the smile on his face. Kyrk kept making fun of me because I looked really weird while I was shooting, I didn't realize at the time but I was using my left eye instead of my right because that's my good eye.

Grandma and Grandpa Wright with most of the grand kids.

Gramsy put on a princess party for all the girls- they were beautiful and had so much fun.

Max is "surfing" in Daddy's car giving the hang loose sign.?.? Good thing he is buckled in with the bungee cord!

Helping Mommy make sugar cookies. This is the sixth time Malia has frosted this cookie, she just keeps licking off the frosting.

Football season

2009-09-07T22:49:00.004-06:00

Football season is upon us and we always talk and tease about how men act during this time of life. It is kind of like mating season because hormones are running so high. Anyway, a few thoughts came to me and so I had to write them down. I do so with the HUGE disclaimer that my husband is actually not in the category of sweaty faced, loud yelling, never missing, religiously devoted football watchers. He gets a kick out of listening to the guys in his office talking and saying, "Oh yeah, who's playing?" He usually knows but he likes to see their faces. Here's my take on football!

If men treated marriage like football…

They would talk about how awesome their wives were to everyone during lunch- giving a play by play of the amazing things she did the day before. Over and over again.

They would proudly wear shirts, hats, socks, and underwear sporting their wives names, most of the days of the week.

When other men saw the paraphernalia, they would give that nod like “Yeah, that’s right.” With an occasional, “Hey! You married a Sarah? I married a Sarah too!”

If their wives were upset, they would be in a bad mood for days.

If their wives made a mistake, they would shout, “That’s okay, we’ll get ‘em next time.”

Love-themed food and snacks would appear at regular intervals throughout the week.

When having “talks”, they would give their full attention, without ever letting their mind wander. Being able to repeat back any of the game plan at any time.

They would be on pins and needles till the next time they could take their wife out. Planning out, in detail, how the time would be spent.

If anything bad was said about their wives, they would get all red in the face and explain for the next hour why she was the best, giving all of her stats and winning history.

They would cheer their wives on and support them through thick and thin, literally.

Taking Advantage

2009-09-07T21:55:00.005-06:00

I know many of you have seen these pics, so bare with me...I am just so behind!
So, my bro. in law, Travis, is an F-16 pilot in the Air Force. They get lots of perks (and deserve every one!) and we just follow them around taking advantage of everything the military has to offer! We have followed them to D.C., Japan, Hawaii, and to so many events. Well, this particular event was one of the highlights. In June Travis found out he was going to give Pres. Uchtdorf a ride in an F-16 and invited us to the base. My sister was worried about us expecting too much, saying she didn't know how many people were going to be there or how it was all going to play out. We didn't care, we were going anyway! We waited for Pres. Uchtdorf in the briefing room and here he comes with his wife and daughter and about 4 other military people. Talk about cozy. When I shook his hand I felt the Spirit so strong. What an awesome experience! I took the kids into a different room while they got briefed, but everyone else (Mom, Hil, and Kyrk) got to stay and listen. Then we took a little van out to the flight line and got to watch as they got ready and taxied away. It sounds quick but was really a pretty long process. What an amazing man and an amazing day. Thanks Travis and Hilary for always letting us tag along!

The kids in the van going out to the flight line. We all had to wear ear gear because it was so loud. The kids were trying theirs on.

Pres. Uchtdorf and Travis

Max wasn't so sure about the whole plane thing.

Those ear mufflers really worked, so well that Malia went to sleep during the process.

Anniversary ??s

2009-07-23T09:52:00.010-06:00

My friend Jenny posted some questions on her blog for her anniversary awhile ago and it was so fun I thought I would do the same.

How long did you date?
Well, Kyrk and I actually met before Kyrk left on his mission. He had his mission call and was leaving for Brazil in about two months. We met on a blind date and really hit it off. We dated quite a few times before he left, but he was leaving for two years- I was safe, right?
Well, after his mission we went on a date and I was so impressed with him and how he had changed and grown. I was leaving for BYU in two weeks and I told him I was very serious about another guy. Safe again, right? One of our favorite stories is that after I told him that he said, "Okay, you want to go out again?" What did I say? "Okay!" He moved down to Utah a couple of weeks after I went down. We dated for just under two years before we were married. That is the very condensed version.
How old is he?
He is 32 and I am 31. I think I was the second person he ever went on a date with that was younger than himself.
Who said "I love you" first?
Sounds bad but I actually don't know. I remember when Kyrk sat me down and told me he really liked me, or loved me? I can't remember his exact words, and I remember thinking "Duh!" Nice, huh?
Who kissed who first?
Uh.....no comment. After his mission, he definitely kissed me. Before his mission, let's just say he was a big tease.
I am sure glad that I am the one writing this!
Who proposed?
The question is not who proposed, it is how many times did he propose. :) Formally, twice. Casually, probably over one hundred. I lost count. One of my favorite memories is after I got my answer. We were in my living room doing something, he was walking with his back to me and made the common comment about 'are you going to marry me?' and I said "yes". He spun around so fast with his jaw dropped. He always joked about it but I never did so he knew I was serious. I will forever remember that look on his face.
Who sings better?
Well, up till a year ago I would have said me, but only because Kyrk didn't sing. He would if he had to, but getting his guitar has sure made a difference. Now he sings and plays all the time. Singing together out back while our kids are playing in the yard is a favorite of mine. I actually love to sing and miss it. The itsy bitsy spider and pat-a-cake just don't quite cut it.
Whose temper is worse?
We are actually both pretty even tempered. I get mildly upset about the little things way more often. It takes a lot, but when he gets really mad I think he takes the cake.
Who does the laundry?
Me. I know he knows there's a difference between lights and darks, but I'm not sure he'd know what to do with them. That might be a little harsh, I think he has done a couple loads in our married life. Not that I haven't had my fair share of bleaching clothes or turning them blue.
Who does the dishes?
When Gramsy is here, she does. Kyrk is awesome with helping with the dishes. If I cook, he will clean up. Sometimes now though after a hard day he asks if I want to do the dishes while he takes all the kids. It's a pretty good trade some days!
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
Right now Kyrk does, but only because that's where Max's little bed is (on the floor) and he wants to sleep by dad when he comes in.
Who pays the bills?
Kyrk. It gives me a headache when he tries to explain how he does everything on the computer. I keep track of my budget area and he does the rest. Okay, so I kinda keep track of my part. Well, he tells me when I go over.
Who is smarter?
Kyrk. Except when it comes to food, decorating, bargain shopping. Do those count?
Who is more stubborn?
Kyrk. Although I am very stubborn when I'm sure I'm right. Which is most of the time. Umm.... maybe I should change my answer.
Who has more friends?
I do. I'm a girl.
Who cooks dinner?
That would be me. If he cooks it is Mac & Cheese or or well, Mac & Cheese. But it is the best Mac & Cheese you've ever tasted. I have a curse and cannot cook anything out of a box. I can't follow directions apparently. One time it took me three separate tries to make Pasta Roni because I kept doing it wrong. Once Hilary was talking to Ally and Ally said, "My dad can make Mac & Cheese, pancakes, and cereal, but everyone can make cereal!" "Can he cook anything else?" "Nope!"
Who mows the lawn?
Uh.. neither of us. We are very spoiled and our HOA does it. We are going to have a rude awakening when we move from here.
Who drives when you are together?
Kyrk. Always. He's a better driver. I am usually singing songs with the kids and throwing food at them, I mean, to them.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong?
Depends. We hardly ever disagree but we learned this great saying from some friends that we have used a lot. "You could possibly be right." It's perfect because it's not really admiting that they are right, just the possibility that they could be right. It makes us laugh every time we say it and gets us out of our disagreement. You should try it.
Who wears the pants in the family?
I think a lot of times the pants are on the floor. Let me explain! We are not very good at making decisions and I think both of us would love it if the other would just decide sometimes. But we are always together in our descions and our opions and our communication is one of the things that I treasure the most.

I am married to the most amazing man. Kyrk is perfect for me and we love every minute we get to spend together. We always try to be positive with each other and I think that has made our marriage what it is today. I thought I loved him when we got married but it is amazing how after ten years you can love someone so much more then you thought possible. When I see him playing with the kids are probably some of the most tender moments. I am so grateful that I can spend not only my life with him but eternity also. I feel so lucky to have him by my side. I love you Kyrk.

Ongoing Anniversary

2009-07-23T07:31:00.011-06:00

Yesterday was our 10 year anniversary! It seems like forever ago and just yesterday at the same time....

We have kind of had an ongoing celebration. In April my wonderful sister and amazing mom took our children and we went to Maui for a week- by ourselves. The timing just worked out better for April.

I have never experienced such a relaxing time in my life before. We woke up everyday, made breakfast and ate out on the lanai, took a walk on the beach, took a nap, went and layed out on the beach, went to shows and luaus, we just did whatever we wanted without any obligations or pressure to hurry.... I don't know if I've ever experienced that to the extent that we did. Wow, what a wonderful time!

This is up on Haleakala (not sure if I spelled that right). It is a volcano on Maui. We had to get up at 2:30 in the morning to get there to watch the sunrise. It was absolutely freezing and very cloudy so the shot above was about the most color that we saw. It was still gorgeous and you feel like you are on top of the world.

Sooo... we couldn't very well not do anything for our actual anniversary! So we took the kids and went down to Las Vegas for a couple of days. We played in the pool and took them to Circus Circus, where luckily we came home with 7 more stuffed animals, because we don't have enough around here. Kyrk and I went to a show at night while Kyrk's brother, Reed, who lives down there, watched the kids for us.
Poor Kyrk. He is the best dad I could ever imagine. Ally is now into aquatic dancing I guess. She made Kyrk dance with her in the pool, doing all kinds of lifts and spins. Not his first choice unless he is behind closed curtains. But here he is, because of his love, dancing with Ally in a very populated pool. Like I said, he gets the best dad award.

But, that wasn't on the DAY of our anniversary, so Mom babysat while we went out to dinner on the 22nd. :) I think we are done with the celebrations, at least the ones you get to hear about.

Gonna go back in time....

2009-06-14T22:56:00.014-06:00

I have a lot of events to catch up on, so my apologies as I go back over the last few months and do some updates. A lot of these are really random.

We have different colored plates that the kids use and I was getting really tired of hearing whining because they wanted a certain color. So I decided to have a FHE about being grateful for what we have. I put a bunch of random utensils in bags and then they had to choose a bag and eat dinner with those things. We had a fun time and in the days following I offered them some wax paper to eat on if they complained. It worked pretty well.

Ally's dance concert. She had some of her best friends in her class- Lyndi and Alyssa.

I think this could possibly be my kids favorite thing to do. Movie and popcorn. At least Malia is old enough to eat popcorn now. It was really hairy for a while when we had to try to keep it away from her. I could never pick off the kernels fast enough....

Making our sandbox with daddy. Max is in heaven.

Malia loves watermelon and was loving sharing it with Uncle Gary!

In May we went up to Spokane for a celebration for Kyrk's dad. He was inducted into the Wash. Home Builder's Hall of Fame. It was a real honor for him and we were so glad that we could be there to watch this happen. I was so impressed with his speech and the emphasis he put on the things that are most important to him. I think he really touched everyone in the room.

At Thankgiving Point. We went right after they had the tulip festival and it was gorgeous!

Malia loved all the "animals" they had around.

Easter. I know, we're going way back...

I had to laugh because the kids were finding all the eggs outside and Malia was just reaching into their baskets and taking their eggs. I don't know if Ally ever figured out why her basket wasn't filling up.

Gross. Malia kept finding the eggs and putting them in her mouth. Well, the dye comes off a little with water, or slobber in this case. Malia had a blue mouth that lasted for way too long.

This was a good as it got.

We found Max like this watching the kids across the street playing. He knows he can't cross the street without one of us there so it kinda made me sad that he was just standing, watching.

what a morning

2009-06-14T22:47:00.007-06:00

So, I tutor a little boy from our neighborhood and have for a while. He is Chinese and he has one sister. I love him and his family. My kids are usually pretty good while I am with him and know that this is my reading time and they play or I put on a show for them. One glorious morning while he was over my children were having meltdowns. EVERY ONE of them. They were all screaming. He looks at me and says, "Doesn't it get a little crazy around here when ALL of your kids are crying?" I said, "Yes, yes it does." He just looked at me and said, "And you're having another one?" Yes, yes I am. That is why my current theme song is...
Send me an angel oooh, oooh, oooh
Send me an angel oooh, oooh, oooh
Right now, right now

sorry, couldn't find an appropriate video to accompany this song. You will have to use your own musicality.

Say cheese!

2009-06-14T22:27:00.002-06:00

So I tried making a version of a cheese dip, I thought it would be so easy, right? I don't know what I did but I didn't make cheese, I made rubber. We thought it was pretty fun and funny until Ally started choking because it got stuck in her throat and she couldn't swallow it. You win some, you loose some. This was definitely a strike, unless you are looking to make bouncy rubber balls, then I might be able to help.

Success

2009-06-14T22:16:00.005-06:00

Just to let my faithful followers know that I did have a successful trip to "the store" without having a breakdown and without having to eat half a bag of chips afterward. The checkout lady even smiled at me once while I went through her line. AND my wonderful husband called me at the store before going to bed asking me if I needed him to stay up and unload the groceries. He told me he didn't want me sitting in the garage by myself for half an hour wishing he would come out. So sweet. I told him I was fine and even better, I really was. I CAN be a sane person. Although you really have to wonder about some of the people at WalMart at that time of night. As Sarah put it, "Really? You needed to drag your obviously exhausted toddler here at eleven pm to buy a large bag of Cheetos, three boxes of pop-tarts, a frozen pizza and diet coke?!" My thoughts exactly.

It's a.....

2009-05-29T12:58:00.002-06:00

Girl. Which we kinda knew, so we are excited. Strangely enough, I think Max is the most excited out of the kids. He said "Yes, now Ally doesn't have to play with me!" ??? When reading books before nap time, he climbs up on my ever growing belly and says, "Mommy, I love our new little baby girl." Melts my heart. The only problem is that he is really set on the name Wendy. Not that I have anything against the name, it's just that he likes the name because of the restaurant, "they have really good chicken nuggets there!" I don't really want to name a child after fried chicken parts.

dilemma

2009-05-28T23:36:00.005-06:00

Walmart. "The store" as my children refer to it is about a stones throw away from my house, well, it would be if I didn't throw like such a girl. Caution: I am in a venting mood. If you want to be uplifted, stop reading right now. If you would like to share in the woes of walmart, then continue. Since I am pretty sure about 5 people read this blog, I think I am pretty safe.
This problem has two parts- the first one is when to go to "the store". I have ventured out way too many times with three kids in tow to speed as fast as I can up and down the aisles to get the things on my list. The problem? Duh- three kids. It is never a fast trip (which is always intended). I am sweating by the time I have gotten to the front doors, having gotten all the kids out of their car seats and miraculously through the parking lot with no one getting killed by the teenager or the guy with long hair and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. Once "safely" inside comes the real danger. I put Malia in the front of the cart but don't even think about buckling her. Maybe I'm a bad mom but it's not worth the attention of every single person in the store as she's screaming her head off. Well, last time I was really hot and they have a Subway in the front of the store, which sells Icees. I know you moms are rolling your eyes at me already, but it gets better. So I buy a big Icee thinking my kids can share and thinking it will occupy them for a little bit. First mistake. Malia doesn't share. She doesn't get my rule of "you don't share it, you don't get it". So she has the straw welded to her lips and you would think I was cutting off a finger every time I gave the other kids a turn, so much for people not staring. My kids mouths and clothes, teeth and tongues are all a bright shade of beautiful blue. Somewhere in the middle of yogurt and string cheese, Malia opts to forget the straw and just go for it, which sends a tumbling mess of blue down her. I take the cup and set it in the cart, trying to clean her up. Max wants a drink and goes for the cup but he can't reach over the cart. No problem, he climbs the cart, grabs the drink and spills it all over everything that I have put in the cart so far. I could start crying but I take a deep breath and get out the wipes and have him help me clean up the floor and everything else. by now the kids are getting antsy and Malia is trying to stand up in the cart. Ally and Max's favorite thing to do is see if they can get behind the items on the shelves. Sometimes there is dead space on the shelves behind the toilet paper or big boxed stuff- makes for a great fort right? Except that they come out with dirt from head to toe, I can't find them 1/2 the time, the knock over merchandise and usually bonk their head which sends them out howling. Max is running ahead and running into people. Ally is holding on to something she got 4 rows back that I told her "no" to, pouting, thinking somehow I will change my mind. I usually give up and don't get whatever is on the last third of my list. I just want out of there as fast as I can. As we come to the checkout they say, "We were so good, do we get a candy?"
Now, it's not always so bad, but the potential is always there. So I have tried sending Kyrk. I love him and he is so willing and he tries hard, but after 8 phone calls about what I meant exactly when I wrote 'Claussen Kosher Dill Pickle Spears in the refrigerated section by the lunch meat.' I think that it's not worth it. One time I think he had 3 workers (guys) looking for sun-dried tomatoes for half an hour, which they never found. And they were right where I told him. :)
My third option is to go later after the kids go to bed, which is what I did tonight. The problem with that is that it gets so late and this pregnant, not sleeping well body of mine is exhausted. I think it takes me twice as long because I feel like I have lead in my feet and brain is in a very slowed down mode. There are boxes everywhere and I can't get to half the stuff I need. Well, tonight I was excited because I was going to get myself a new notebook. That might not sound like much to you, but a crisp new notebook to make my lists in really turns me on! I love to have one that is my very own that the kids are not allowed to color in, well that's the idea anyway. I won't mention the fact that I am getting a new one because my old one has mysteriously disappeared. So the first thing I do is go to the section and look for a really cute, colored, polk-a-dot or striped notebook and there is nothing! I looked 20 times. I know right where they are and...gone! I am upset so I go and pick out a new cookie sheet. I come back because they've got to have something! The only thing that is the right size is a Hannah Montana notebook and I WILL NOT stoop that low! So I went to get a new basting brush and some lime tostitos to make me feel better. After a long shopping trip and a brand new checker that put one item in each bag I drove home with the bag of chips opened on the seat beside me. I pulled into the garage and I am so tired. I realized I now have to unpack all the groceries. I sat in the car, eating chips and stare at the door wishing Kyrk will come bounding out ready to get all the groceries for me. I don't need a knight on a white horse, I just need someone to carry in groceries. That is pretty much synonymous to me. But I knew he was asleep and I sat there so long all the garage lights went out. I knew that if I tripped and broke something he wouldn't hear and wouldn't come so I had better get to it. And now, after unloading groceries, venting for a minute and eating half a bag of chips, I feel a lot better. Now I can probably sleep. But this still doesn't help me figure out when to go to "The Store" (I feel like that title should be accompanied by scary music). So if any of you five out there have a suggestion, I'm all ears.

A story worth telling

2009-05-13T16:08:00.006-06:00

Across the fence in our backyard is a huge apricot tree. Not just any apricot tree, but one that has the most beautiful, delicious apricots you've ever tasted. When you walk by your mouth waters. We are friends with the owners and they told us to come and pick apricots anytime. Well, it was just on one of those mouth-watering days that Mom and Hilary (who was staying with us) walked by the tree and decided to get some apricots. They didn't know the neighbors so they settled for picking the apricots that were hanging over the fence. The only problem was that those branches were a little high, so they decided to get creative. They were jumping, using each other for step stools, climbing on each others backs, knees, hands- anything they could think of. Well, after little success they went inside grateful that no one had witnessed their embarrassing attempts. A short time later, the phone rang (which Hilary answered), and a Pleasant Grove officer was calling about unauthorized picking of fruit. Hilary was very surprised and embarrassed and stammered through an explanation. After a few minutes our neighbor Mark couldn't hold it in anymore and started laughing. He admitted to watching the whole scene. Hilary is still looking for a way to get Mark back. Any suggestions?

Picking apricots last year.

about time

2009-05-12T14:25:00.008-06:00

Wow! It's been since Valentine's Day since I've posted- pretty sad! But at first I was so sick and then we have been so busy... details to come. First, most of you know, but I am 18 weeks along with our fourth child. This was the worst pregnancy by far. I say that very lightly because some of my friends are soo sick that I don't feel I can lay much claim, but I did have to take med. this time, so for me that is a big step. Luckily at 12 weeks I stopped feeling like I could throw up at any moment and instead my body said, "Oh, I remember this, I know exactly what to do..." And so at present I look like I'm about 7 months along. Oh joy. We went in to find out what it was but the umbilical cord was in the way and so we couldn't tell for sure. We think we know what it is, but YOU will have to wait. I know, I know, you are on pins and needles. But I'm just not going to give in till we know for sure.
Anyway, I am going to try to catch up on what we've been up to...

The weather here is crazy. This was one day with Malia playing in the mud, swimming pool out, getting sunburns.... and yes, Malia is eating it, but she is very willing to share.

and this was a few days later. We can't keep up around here. I am having a hard time finding room in the kid's dressers for their winter stuff and their summer clothes.

This is our neighbor Mark. Mark and Ally have a friendly feud going on between them. Mark is constantly playing little tricks on Ally and she does not trust him one bit! She is always looking for little ways to get back at him. Ally is not the only one trying to get back at Mark- this is a side story but well worth it.... I will put it on the next post :)

You would probably never guess this but one of Malia's favorite foods are grape tomatoes. She loves most veggies, but when we have grape tomatoes she goes crazy! She always goes to the fridge and grunts till we open it and then she will scream pointing at them till we give her a handful. The other day we were in Costco and I said, "Malia- look!" while putting a package in our cart. Her eyes got big, she let out a squeal and clapped her hands. I was kinda kicking myself for showing her since I had to hold her off, unsuccessfully. Although a very healthy snack, not the cleanest one.

Not a great picture, but a great tradition. Everyday as Daddy is going to work, the kids climb up on the back of the couch and wave and blow kisses as he is driving away. It melts my heart.

A trip to the zoo in March. A little colder then we were expecting. The kids are riding the carousel.

reverse psychology....reversed

2009-04-14T12:54:00.002-06:00

Malia doesn't talk, not really. She'll say a few words here and there, if she deems it pertinent to the conversation, but she is pretty much content screaming and yelling grunts for what she wants. It seems to work for her. Even though Malia won't talk at all, she understands pretty much everything, even humor. I play the reverse psychology thing a lot... "Don't you eat that!" She laughs and eats whatever it is. This is a great little game until you really don't want your children to do something. I thought they would be able to tell by my face and voice if I was really joking or not. Apparently not. Like a few days ago when I got Malia out of the bathtub. I realized I did not have a diaper so I had to run in the next room to grab one. I looked at Malia and said, "Don't go potty!" Well, she looked at me, got a big smile on her face, laughed and squatted down and peed all over the carpet. Jokes on me this time. I guess I deserved that.

Blow to the ego

2009-02-24T12:07:00.006-07:00

So, this morning I am playing Old Maid with Max and Ally. Ally picks up this card and says, "Oh, this one is just like Daddy! He's got a guitar." I think- Oh that is so cute!

Then she picks up this one and says, "Oh, Mom this one is like you!" Thank you so very much.

Valentine's tradition

2009-02-14T15:10:00.003-07:00

We made daddy a bouquet. Not of flowers... Max helped dip the strawberries in chocolate, but I think more found it's way into his mouth than on the strawberries.

Now, I know it's not amazing.... but who really cares? It's from the kids and it's for a guy! I guarantee all he'll see is the food. (He did appreciate the work and said, "This is the best bouquet I've ever seen!")

This is the part that has been our tradition for the last 3 years. We cut out a bunch of hearts and go get some tacky decorations. We go to his work and fill his car with candy and all the other things we have. This year I got red, feathered hand-cuffs and put them on the rear view mirror. heehee.

The best part is, we spend the morning writing on the hearts all the reasons that we love daddy. Malia found the candy and was opening it and eating it almost as fast as we could put it out. She had chocolate everywhere! I didn't know what was better though because before that she just kept pulling off all the hearts. At least the candy kept her busy.

Little did we know that daddy and a bunch of co-workers were watching out the window of the kitchen. I bet they got a laugh when I had to go chasing a balloon half way across the parking lot that escaped out the door. Not only that, but on the way back to the car, I lost it again and had to go after it again!

10 year ago- yesterday

2009-02-14T15:01:00.004-07:00

Ten years ago- well, yesterday, Kyrk and I got engaged. My how time flies.

On the road again

2009-02-04T16:05:00.015-07:00

We took the kids skiing for the first time. They had a lot of fun but got a little cold by the end. We love it that Alta does free skiing after 3:00. We took them up and did two runs (they are long). They were done and WE were done! Snowplowing down the hill with a kid in between your legs is almost torture. Our thighs were on fire! We had a blast though. Max just wanted to go faster and faster. When I was taking him down he said, "Mom, these skis don't jump!" That is a little scary.

What a nightmare! We got some new furniture and it was packaged in styrofoam. Not just any styrofoam but styrofoam that falls into a billion pieces at the touch of a hand. Needless to say, my children had the time of their lives building and "fixing" with a screwdriver. But I did not have quite as much fun vacuuming 7 times and dumping the bag out 3 times to get it all up.

This stuff was so staticy(?) that it was sticking to everything...and everyone.

Malia loves Ranch dressing. Nasty. We have to use the bottle and then hide it or she will just point at it and scream until she gets more.

Hilary and I made what seems to be an annual winter trip to Spokane in January. We had so much fun and we love to go home because Nana, Scott Grandpa, Abby and Bethany are amazing. It seems like I barely even see my children because they are off here or there on outings. Bethany is Ally's personal hero, and right now Ally is in the process of growing her hair down to her bottom to be just like Bethany. Oh joy. I told her I was making a chart and if she cried 10 times while I was brushing, shampooing, or styling her hair we were cutting it. That didn't go over too well.

We only got to see Grandma and Grandpa Wright for one day before they were off to Vegas but boy did the kids have fun! Malia was having a hard time going to anyone but Grandpa just worked his magic and she went straight to him.

Malia is finding something fun while Grandpa is otherwise occupied.

Ally and Audrey in the hot tub. Hil has a lot of these same pics on her site.

Who says only my brothers can wrestle?

Out on the frozen lake.

Scott Grandpa would pull these two around with the stick all over. They thought it was so fun to slide across the ice. Malia loved the ice, I put her in between my legs and she would slide as I tried to walk. Every time I picked her up she would cry. I came really close to falling on my face, with Malia in my arms, but I caught myself. This seems to happen a lot to me. I lose my balance all the time, but hardly ever fall. Does that mean I'm clumsy or have good balance?!?

You just have to want to kiss those huge cheeks!

Better Late than Never

2009-01-29T16:11:00.006-07:00

Well, this Christmas was a little crazy so I figured something had to go. I chose the blog. It could have been some presents, Christmas cards, my sanity, sleep, or a few other choices, but I think I made a pretty good choice. So, I am just now catching up. I figure stretching the holiday cheer is a good thing, right?

We took the Polar Express to visit Santa at the North Pole. The people that put this on are amazing. They do it all for free. Wow.

Christmas morning

Ally got the dog she had been asking and asking for. What a lucky girl.

Just right for a toy horse?

Max is so excited about his new tool bench, so excited he stopped to give Mom a kiss!

One of Malia's favorite places to be.

Sledding on the "hill" across the street. It's really a drain ditch. It's not doing it for Ally anymore. She is serious about sledding and will do huge hills!

She found some other entertainment.

To make it more exciting she was trying to go down every crazy way she could.

New years- fireworks.

It was cold!

Questioning my intelligence

2009-01-29T10:55:00.010-07:00

So, I have been to Toys R Us a couple times with my children. Each time I vowed I would never enter that store with children again. Why? Because every time do I leave with a child tucked under my arm, kicking and screaming. Well, it must be like childbirth where you forget about the pain.
Fast forward... Max got a toy for his birthday that I needed to return to Toys R Us. I had a couple of hours to kill and thought that I could return the gift and just let the kids play for awhile. Fun outing, huh? I had Max and Malia with me. We walk into the store and the FIRST thing - there were kid sized snow shovels. My kids of course want one so I pull two out and think they can play with them while I return the toy. They do, but everyone that walks into the door gets 'shoveled' by one of my children. It's time to move on but I cannot pry the shovel out of Malia's hands, so I think, "who cares, she can hold it, right? I'll ditch it before we leave the store." (Which Kyrk is very much opposed to- not putting something back where it belongs) I have gotten over the guilt, as much of my time at any store with 3 kids has turned into survival 101. Anyway, we proceed two feet down the aisle before my kids find something else to play with. Fine, I have 2 hours. Well, after it's been 45 min and we have only moved 5 feet from the door, I start to get nervous. We're never going to make it out of there because of the GENIUS (heavy sarcasm) who designed the layout of TRU. If you do not already know, the layout of TRU is a circle. There are no shortcuts to the registers. That is just a mean rotten thing for anyone to do. So, like I said, we're still only 5 feet from the front door. Malia iss going in between running to different toys and pulling them off the shelf, taking them from other kids, leaving the shovel in the middle of the aisle where people are running into it with their carts, or actually purposefully running into people with the shovel. I am now asking myself what is wrong with me? Am I that stupid? Haven't I done this before? Have I not vowed a sacred oath not to put myself in this situation again?
We had to get moving. I try to ditch this dangerous shovel at any chance I can but they will not forget. So, I drag one child from their toy, kicking and screaming, down as many aisles as I dare and get them interested in another toy. I go back for the next one. This process continues as I am profusely apologizing to people about getting run into by the blasted shovel. I am exhausted and actually sweating. By the end of a couple hours, I am dragging two kids, mostly Malia, kicking and screaming, and a SHOVEL that I have now bought out the door of Toys R US. Telling myself I will never, ever do this again. And this time I mean it!

Well, the shovel thing actually turned out to be a good thing. The kids will shovel for hours on end out in the cold, loving every minute. So, I went back to get another one, but this time without the kids.

Got to have it? or Don't get it!

2008-12-01T11:29:00.007-07:00

We had such a fun, relaxing Thanksgiving with my aunts, uncles and cousins. We enjoyed delicious food and good company and I didn't even have a messy house after it was over! That is my idea of a party! Speaking of party.... I am waiting to get our Twilight pictures from my sister- what a fun night. We had an amazing party. I will post them as soon as I get them.

Okay, so I was looking through a Pier 1 mag. the other day and saw this really cool hanging stick thing. I thought- I can do that, or a variation of it. So instead of buying the yummy smelling pine bough we always get, I decided to make my work of art. We went up into the canyon (beautiful!) and got some already fallen branches. No trees were hurt in the process of making this. And walaa! This is what I came up with. Well, while Kyrk was all about our trip up the canyon, he kept saying, "Now, what are you going to do with these?" And while he was such a good husband and put in the screws to hang our "tree" he kept saying, "I just don't get it, it's a bunch of dead sticks!" So my question to you is... Like it? or Don't get it! You'll have to let me know. I'm curious what the neighbors might think.....

Up the canyon

Decorating the Christmas tree. You would have thought Malia would figure out those were WOODEN candy canes, but it didn't seem to phase her.

Malia was taking them off just about as fast as we were getting them on.

Dad and Gramsy have given the kids an ornament every year. They LOVE pulling these out and putting them on the tree. Ally has them all in a little area.

This is a really bad picture but after we decorated the tree we all slept out in the living room. It's so fun to sleep under the glow of the Christmas lights.

Ally writing her letter to Santa.

Halloween

2008-11-04T22:15:00.005-07:00

Max is not so sure about this...

while Ally digs right in...

Malia's progression went as follows:

Scooping seeds out of pumpkin and putting them into the bowl....

scooping the seeds from the bowl and putting them into the pumpkin....

putting the seeds straight into her mouth...

who needs a spoon anyway???

Ally REALLY wanted to have a cookie sale just like Lyndi and Ashley had a popsicle sale this summer. Soo, we made treats and as we were sitting outside she informed me that I needed to wave to all the cars. She did pretty well and is currently saving up for the new Tinkerbell movie. I think that I should have gotten a waving commission.

Visiting Daddy at work.

Ahh, the power of a sucker.

Happy 3rd Max!

2008-11-04T09:21:00.014-07:00

Maxwell Dean. Could it really be three years ago? Max has been our constant entertainment. He has always been more of a challenge but also so full of life and making us laugh all of the time. He is growing up so big, well mentally at least. He weighed in at the doctors at a whopping 24.8 lbs. for his 3 year old appt. (okay, okay, so that was with his clothes on). Max is always making funny faces and just seems to reach out and grab the hearts of all who are near him. All the young men in our ward think he is so cool and Max walks down the hall and gives them all high 5's, while strutting his stuff. We are really trying to discourage him shooting the young men across the aisle during church, it is not a quiet affair. He loves to play with the big kids and wants to be included in everything. Max also loves Malia though and nobody can make her laugh like he can. He is a HUGE daddy's boy and loves every minute he can get with his dad. When sending Kyrk off to work he often says "Dad, can I hold you when you get home?" Max loves all kinds of trucks and balls and teasing big sister. I am happy to say he is out of his blue "boy" dress phase. We love to hear him pray right now, he is very thankful for everything. Tonight he was thankful that we had a knife to cut the bread. The other night he was thankful that I saved his beans on his plate so that he could eat them later and then have ice cream. At least he's thinking about what he's sayin. We love Max and couldn't imagine life without him.

Those are candy tools in his "tool belt", or rather dish rag that I tied around his waist. He thought it was great. Who needs expensive things?

This kid is amazing. He hit the ball clearing the fence by about 5 feet! This was a great present for Mom and Dad because, even though we love to pitch to him, our arms can have a break.

Ready to be Jealous?

2008-10-27T14:02:00.005-06:00

Last week we took a trip to San Diego with our good friends, Gary and Debbie. It was perfect weather, perfect company, and just a perfect vacation. Last minute we decided to run down to the beach on the day that we got there. We were sure glad we did. I don't think I have ever seen a sunset so beautiful.

In the hole they were digging to China.

Playing "chicken" with the waves. Malia just wanted to walk into the ocean all by herself, she did not want us to hold her hands. She was crazy! So I finally let her walk into a very little wave that was washing up and of course she fell and she looked at me and screamed like, "I can't believe you just did that!" and walked over to Kyrk. She was done playing with me.

Ally said, "Mom this sand has cinnamon in it." No wonder why Malia liked it so much!

A trip to Sea World.

Shamu was the highlight. We had to go to the show twice.

Malia like the pigeons the best.

All tuckered out.

Ally was in charge of the map.

Happy B-day Malia!

2008-09-29T23:51:00.008-06:00

Malia Nellie

This year has gone by so fast and we love watching Malia grow and learn. She is so cute and loves to cuddle, but watch out, she does have a little attitude! Malia loves to eat and lets us know when she is done by the food that is suddenly covering the walls and floor around her highchair. She really wants to be one of the big kids and toddles around after her brother and sister all day. She loves being outside and if the door is ever open, she goes as fast as she can to get free, or she will almost leap out of my arms. We have avoided many near dropping experiences. She ducks her head into my shoulder when strangers are near and is our best sleeper by far. Malia sounds like a monkey when she wants something and her favorite something would probably have to be popsicles. She loves it when daddy comes home and gives the best hugs. She is very happy and one can't help but laugh when she does. I love being her mom.
I have recently been thinking about how busy our lives are and how it's the simple things in life that bring the most joy. I think the times that I have felt heaven the closest is when I look into my children's eyes, when they are excited and telling me about something, when I am rocking them to sleep, when I watch them laugh, or see them play with their daddy. That's what life is all about.

These are some of my favorites.

for her b-day, we got her a baby and some baby bottles, the only problem was that SHE wanted the bottles! She kept switching back and forth getting a little frustrated when nothing was coming out.

Trying to share her cake. Thanks, but no thank you.

Allyson Rose- 5 yrs old

2008-09-29T15:10:00.018-06:00

ALLYSON ROSE
I cannot believe my baby is 5! It makes me cry to see how grown up my little girl is. Ally is very smart and very sweet. She is the biggest helper, although some times too much because she loves to pick up Malia, inevitably causing screams to echo through the house, as Malia does not like this. She loves to make up dances and it is pretty amazing to see the different choreography that she comes up with to different styles of music, but she has recently refused to go to dance class. She is very particular and detail oriented. She will sit and color or create something for a long time. One of Ally's signature traits is that she loves tiny, little things. It doesn't so much matter what, so long as it is little. She loves to put these little things in little purses or little bags and loves to hide them in little places. I don't know how many little things I am missing because I cannot find them. Once in a while I will come across a stash and say, "Wow, that's where that went." We are currently missing our mail key. She loves to imagine and pretend. She recently told me, "Mom, there is a factory in my tummy." I said, "Yeah, you're right, it is kinda like a factory." "No, mom, I mean a real factory- with little people and they like it when I eat beans because then they have an enemy." Um, I'm not even really sure what to say to that!
She loves to laugh and get tickled and she loves to play with friends. We have started to do Mommy dates and it is so fun to spend the time with her and see her eyes light up. She is beautiful inside and out.

Here are some of my favorite pictures...

Sorry, I couldn't help it. With cousin Audrey.

Having a beauty parlor...

This is the fishbowl cake that she REALLY wanted for her birthday.

loong post

2008-09-25T22:21:00.021-06:00

Max loves his daddy's getup. He often sneaks out to the garage and comes in with something of Kyrk's on.

Max wants to be just like daddy. Daddy and Max are playing and singing 'I am a Child of God' together.

Out on Utah Lake watching Daddy kiteboard.

Go, daddy, go!

One of Malia's favorite places.

Ally's first day of preschool.

Reunion at Spirit Lake.

Sand was one of the main courses for Malia this week.

This is Max on a toy jet ski. He is little, but.....

One of the highlights of the trip home this summer was Kyrk's parents 50 wedding anniversary!
It was so fun for everyone to be able to get together- we were only missing a few. We did a scrapbook(good job Niki!) and a video for them(I think I will be indebted to my neighbor Jenny for a life time!!). I went through all of Mom and Dad W's old photo albums and had so much fun seeing the progression of their lives. How amazing- 50 years- and just look at the family now. They have impacted so many with their love and selflessness. We are so grateful for them and all that they do.

This is my favorite one.

Daddy thought it would be a good idea to get the kids a LITTLE treat in the car on the way home. Next time I will be the one to go get the treats in the store!

Ally, Audrey and Bethany went to a princess camp at Hatfieldadelphia. It was amazing. They had a great time as they got to solve riddles, get potions from the witch, save Rupunzel from the ogre, learn a dance from Cinderella, and have the prince try the glass slipper on their foot and then dance with the handsome princes. The princes were pretty cute actually-I was ready to have a go! :)

This is Kyrk's birthday. He does not like to dress up, but I told him it wasn't about him anymore, it's all about the kids, and they could hardly contain their excitement.

Picking apricots at our neighbors. We got sooo many and made a lot of jam. We ate way too many apricots that next week, but we couldn't help ourselves because they were so yummy!

We went down south :) with our friends Rick and Cheri to watch Rick's brother in car racing. We have never had an experience like that before! It was really fun, and really loud.

These were the cars?? that he raced.

Earplugs for all. Cheri made flags so the kids can join in on the action.

Okay, so the earplugs didn't fit very well... but she wouldn't let me cover her ears. I was just praying she didn't have hearing loss. She didn't, I'm pretty sure she just ignores me now.

summer fun

2008-07-24T18:17:00.005-06:00

Trying out a spoon. More actually got in her mouth then I thought would.

Abandon the spoon!

That's way more fun!

My beautiful Ally

We went to Lagoon with Travis and Hil and Mom. What a fun day. The kids didn't want to stop. They had a ton of rides for the kids, I was very impressed. This was Max's favorite ride. He had to go backwards so he could shoot Ally and Audrey in the car behind him. Nice.

Malia got brain freeze from eating a pushup too fast.

Hilary got a little car for Landon and it's Malia's favorite toy. Max and Ally love to push her.

This is one of Malia's favorite spots and as bad as it may be, if I need to do something in the kitchen for a minute I will open the fridge for her and it will definitely keep her busy. Here she has found the grapes and is seeing how many she can stuff in her mouth before she spits them out.

thank goodness for digital

2008-07-24T17:59:00.002-06:00

Ally is our little model apparently...

While Max is picking his nose....

Yeah, we got one! This was really about the 26th.

Good enough!

4th of July

2008-07-24T16:26:00.004-06:00

Ally and Audrey started a summer gymnastics class. They have had lots of fun and I have been really surprised at what they have had them do!

Why is it just so hard to resist dirt?

I couldn't resist and put pig tails in Malia's hair one day. She was not too happy.

Flying the kite with daddy.

Malia LOVES the water and just splashes and splashes. We got a hotel in Idaho Falls when we went up for Kyrk's family reunion and the kids loved the pool.

We went to the Provo 4th of July parade. I was really complaining before hand because I didn't want to go find a place to park, walk 5 miles and stand out in the heat to watch the back of peoples heads because the closest we could find was 200 yards away from the street. Well, we got there and found a really good spot in the shade and then the flag came down the street with all the military and everyone was cheering for the veterans and I start bawling, and I was so grateful for our country and so glad that we went to the parade. And yes, I did apologize to Kyrk for being such a stinker.

Spokane fun

2008-06-29T08:37:00.007-06:00

After the baby blessing we headed over to Spokane for a week of fun.

We LOVE the golf cart. Golf cart rides in the morning, for picnics, before dinner, and to put the kids to sleep. The kids will go at any time and it will turn any frown upside down. The only problem was that when anyone heard the words golf cart, everyone was running, no one was going to be left behind! The result....

Hilary bought some water guns and balloons in Utah but we didn't use them so she had the great idea to take them up to Spokane and ambush Scott Grandpa. And that is exactly what we did. We had a hard time keeping the kids quiet but it all worked out in the end.

The kids would live on the trampoline if they could and were out on it from sun up till sun down, so I guess they kind of did! Aunt Bethany was such a great help and played with the kids all week.

Aunt Abby with Malia

A visit to Coeur d'Alene beach. This was Malia's first time at the lake. The sand was sure interesting and must have tasted pretty good considering she kept eating it.

Our beautiful mermaid princesses. Ally is often Ariel and wants her hair "just like this mommy" so she can look like her.

Fun at Grandma and Grandpa Wright's house.

Malia went straight to Grandpa which is not very typical. I wonder if she was missing daddy.

The kids loved playing in the flower garden and watering all the flowers. Poor Grandma added a few more stepping stones after we left.

I think that we wore them out. Classic.

When the family gets together

2008-06-25T16:51:00.009-06:00

My sister Hilary and her kids, Audrey and Landon, have come to visit for a couple of months while Travis is finishing things up in Turkey. It is a party every day and a little crazy sometimes but we are loving having them here and are making wonderful memories. Some of these are on Hil's blog too, but they were too cute so you'll get a double dose.watching a movie with some popcorn is one of the favorite special treats!

They had to save the popcorn. We have found that popcorn is one of Malia's favorite treats and she will go to almost any measure to steal it. I think right now she is trying to decide who to attack.

Fun at Utah Lake, affectionately known as Hot Chocolate Lake. We just play at the beach.

A visit to the farm where the kids go up close and personal with the animals. A little too personal at times.

Landon was not shy at all. His whole hand disappeared a couple of times while feeding the animals. Hilary hates slobber so it was really fun to see her reaction to her son.

Ally took the pony ride like a champ. Max on the other hand almost lost it, but I was holding Malia and so I couldn't go in there with him. He was a trooper until his time was up.

After a LONG haul, we made it to Seattle for my new beautiful niece's baby blessing. We all went to the baseball game and had a lot of fun, although it was pretty busy and we didn't spend that much time in our seats. Okay, okay, so as we were leaving I had to ask who they were playing.... I just knew we were cheering for the white team (they were the ones in white, right?).

Max loves sports and was so excited to see baseball. It was fun trying to explain to Max what was happening, since you couldn't see the ball from where we were sitting. I gave up after a couple of tries.

Malia eating again. She really liked the licorice rope we got. Good thing for bleach. Ally was such a clean eater and so all of Ally's clothes were in great condition for Malia. I think we might have to burn them when Malia is done with them.

catchin' up

2008-06-25T11:37:00.007-06:00

It has been a long time and we have been so busy, but we have been having so much fun.

I don't know what happened to this picture but Malia sure loves to eat!

and eat

and eat.
Here she just finished with broccoli and her shirt is forever ruined.

Since we have decided not to move we have switched the kids rooms around. This has been quite the project and I'm not finished but it has been fun. I need to add a picture of the girls room too. Kyrk did a great job building the "wall". For father's day I put up a few pictures of Kyrk playing sports when he was little. Max LOVES to see the pictures of his daddy, he points them out to me when we go into his room and tells me all about his daddy playing soccer and football. As if Daddy wasn't ALREADY the favorite!

Kyrk and Max getting ready to go on their first Fathers and Sons.

Ally's end of the year preschool program.

Kyrk is getting ready to go to Costa Rica. He is practicing not hyperventilating when they go snorkeling.

Okay, so this is a problem. Max ends up in our bed almost every night. Do you see that space to the left??? That is where I am supposed to fit! There is something really wrong here.

birthday bash

2008-05-11T07:06:00.006-06:00

They got into Gramsy's stash. She always has the weirdest things lying around just waiting to go in a package to one of her unsuspecting children.

Early morning lap time with daddy. He has been a trooper and gets up with the kids every morning so that Mom and I can go to the gym and watch movies while we run.

This is Malia's new face that she always makes. She does it when she's mad or excited or laughing. We think it is hilarious. Malia is so funny and she is always laughing. She just looks at Max and starts laughing. She loves peek-a-boo and eating.

You would think they never fought wouldn't you?!

Max loves to sing and will sing anywhere to anyone.

This video is for the grandparents, just showing Malia crawling. This was taken over a week ago and she is really scooting now. She pulls herself up to stand and she really just wants to walk. She holds onto your fingers and goes.

Ally LOVES to sing and dance and makes up songs all day long, she is just usually too shy to sing for anyone. So it was fun to catch this on video.

Mom has some scrapaways for the next couple weekends, so, this last weekend they had an early birthday party for me. I will turn 26.

Mom thought it would be really funny to relive my old days and made me dress up and we had a scavenger hunt around our neighborhood. I might have done something like this for a date or two when I was a teenager..... Hey, Ben and Grant, thanks for being good sports in high school! Kyrk was worried I was going to be embarrassed, I guess we haven't had enough dress up experiences together---yet!

Kiteboarding

2008-04-27T17:43:00.002-06:00

Kyrk had a lot of fun yesterday but is pretty sore today. You might have to click on the pictures to really see them.

Reputation

2008-04-27T17:11:00.006-06:00

Okay, so poor Max is getting quite the reputation from this blog, and this is just adding to it. Well, here is part of the explanation. Max has two sisters, our neighbors next door have three girls. I swap babysitting/playgroup with a couple people, 4 girls come over. The reoccurring theme at our house is girls, girls, girls. And what do girls love to do? Dress-up! So Max (who is around girls all the time) has come up with a theory. He came out with this dress on one day and said, "Mom, it's a blue dress- it's a boy dress!" All pleads were disregarded. I thought if I didn't make a big deal about it, he would forget about the dress. I was wrong. The worst of it came when Max got out of the house and was running up and down the sidewalk in his boy dress. Quick as a wink our neighbor Mark had his video camera out. I am currently looking for counseling for Kyrk. The dress does compliment his eyes! :)

Our children LOVE nuts! They were told to stay in the kitchen, so they sat on the stairs and watched tv with their snack.

Our cousins, Cody and Tanner came over to play. Yeah, some boy time! (And boy, were they rough and tough!)

Tanner found my cover up.

Having a picnic in the shade of daddy's kite.

Answers

2008-04-27T17:05:00.003-06:00

I am very impressed with the people who got the answers right! The answers are:
1. Max
2. Ally
3. Max
4. Malia
5. Ally
6. Malia
7. Ally
8. Max
9. Malia
Congrats, Lisa, Jill & Emily, Sara, and Dad!! Lisa and Sara haven't even seen Malia!!

Who's Who Game

2008-04-07T21:58:00.006-06:00

Many people seem to think that our children look alike. What do you think? Come and play our little game. See if you can identify which child is in each picture. Don't worry, Kyrk didn't get them all right either! I will have to think of a prize for whoever wins!!

It's all about the food

2008-04-04T14:42:00.003-06:00

Food, glorious food!

Outside Fun

2008-04-04T14:13:00.008-06:00

We are loving that it is getting a little warmer here. We take every minute we can to be outside.

Having a bike "race" with our neighbors.

Malia in the sweater and hat Gramsy knitted for her.

Let's go fly a kite, Up to the highest height!

And then there is Kyrk with his kite.

The sprinklers came on and I think Max got the worst of it.

We LOVE to make Malia laugh! It's hard to catch her though, every time we bring out the recorder, she stops and just stares at it.