Take Cover: The Bunker Blog

The making of a GREAT Holiday

2011-01-01T21:09:00.012+01:00

Christmas Break 2010 was all about MAKING things.

MAKING Discoveries at the Natural History Museum in D.C.

MAKING Wishes on Caden's 9th birthday.

MAKING up silly songs and dances. (Ole', Ole', Ole', Ole'....Lone Peak......Brooklyn)

MAKING Christmas Cookies for Caden's class (lots of football fans this year)

MAKING Salt Dough Ornaments.

MAKING Messes (finger pointed at Avery)

MAKING Ginger Bread Cookies.

MAKING Snow Balls and Snow Angles with friends.

I always wonder if Christmas break will bring lots of complaining about being bored. But I am always surprised how fast the time goes by. Indeed we had a great time making so many things, but especially making Memories.

Because It's 54 degrees

2010-11-03T02:36:00.004+01:00

Dear Caden, Kayla and Avery,

Why oh why do you hate me? I am in your life for the sole purpose of giving warmth and comfort and yet I seem to repulse you. I mean you no harm. Before you know it I will be gone and replaced with something much more cumbersome. I don't ask for your love, just your acceptance.

Love,
Your Jacket

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T01:51:00.004+01:00

Meow!

Why can't people give candy out like they did when I was young? I used to get a bunch of generic stuff like Bit O Honey and taffy with maybe 2 or 3 chocolate bars. Now everyone gives out nothing but yummy stuff. The kids came home with Snickers, Twix, M&Ms and every other tasty candy bar made. How am I supposed to stay out of the kids pumpkins? The candy is already taunting me.

Kayla is wearing a cheerleading uniform that I wore when I was young. It was from the year my mom actually made the uniforms for my entire squad. She still has nightmares filled with gray material and red monogramming.

A repeat of last years uniform. It works for me.....$$$ saved.

Our Jack O Lantern is a werewolf. Of course the kids picked out the pattern and Brice and I ended up doing most of the carving. It was cool though. Happy Halloween.

Miss you guys!

2010-10-28T01:43:00.000+02:00

Family Pictures Summer 2010

2010-10-28T01:12:00.009+02:00

School Pictures Fall 2010

2010-10-28T01:10:00.001+02:00

Kayla Marie
6 years old
1st grade

Caden Sean
8 years old
3rd grade

The Barlows

2010-10-25T23:47:00.000+02:00

This summer we were able to get together with our good friends from Germany. We love the Barlows and had such a great time with their family. Thanks again for the great memories. We hope to see them again soon.

Apples and Carrots

2010-09-25T22:30:00.000+02:00

One of the kids favorite things about living at Aunt Kari's house this summer were the horses. There were 4 of them and I think they were fed enough carrots and apples to sustain a small country. The kids would wake up every morning and head right outside to see the the horses were out. They were lucky enough to get to take a ride on Max. Thanks Matt.

Kayla

Caden

Cowgirl Avery

Avery's 3rd Birthday

2010-09-25T10:32:00.000+02:00

It was over a month ago, but our baby girl turned 3 this summer.

For all of my Mini Van friends

2010-09-20T00:33:00.007+02:00

The kids sing this song all day. We love it.

The SWAGGER WAGON

Thanks to Jon for the link.

St. George, UT

2010-09-12T22:26:00.006+02:00

We started off our 2 month summer vacation in St. George, UT with Brice's family. What a wonder way to transition back into the U.S. We had a great time despite the fact that we all got a bit sunburned. Our lily white German skin wasn't quite ready for the desert sun.

The Flight Home

2010-09-12T22:14:00.003+02:00

We woke at 5 am to make it to the airport. Made it there with plenty of time to spare. After rearranging our massive suitcases a bit to meet the weight limit we board with ease. We had not even been on the plane for 5 minutes when the mechanic had to be called because of .......Avery. She broke the tray table before we even took off.
The industrial tape seem like a good fix at the time, but about 4 hours into the 9 hour flight it was coming loose and kept falling on me. Yes, of course I had to sit in the seat with the broken tray. It was extra special getting to eat my meals on my lap.

I'm guilty and I don't care one bit.

Caden and Kayla were amazing during the entire flight. They kept themselves pretty entertained with music and the things in their backpacks.

Even this little stinkbug was a gem. She was really good despite the fact that she didn't sleep for even 1 minute. I tried and even gave her a little liquid help, but she was having way too much fun to sleep.

When we were making our decent into SLC Avery finally fell asleep. Gee thanks.

The kids ended up staying awake for 21 hours straight. I was so proud of them.

Fun Memories

2010-09-12T21:12:00.009+02:00

We have been gone from Germany for almost 3 months now. I am trying to post a lot of pictures from this summer, but came across these from Germany. This was a fun little park we went to with our friends the Barlows and Hannah 1 and 2. Fun times!

Kayla and Hannah on their way down the slide. I love Europe because of awesome lawsuit ridden rides like these. Avery LOVED it! Only 1 euro per ride.

Marshall and Caden on their way back up.

The gang.

I have some cool video from this day but am having trouble uploading them. Check back later.

Wave Your Flag!

2010-06-11T12:23:00.003+02:00

The World Cup 2010 fever is strong here in Europe and we wanted to be part of it. We have been singing along to this year's anthem and love that song! Even Avery knows the words.

Here are Caden and Kayla on their way to the bus this morning.

We don't' own any USA soccer jerseys, but of course had 2 from England. Those are forbidden so Caden's wearing Barcelona's and Kayla has on a neutral one from Caden's soccer games long ago.

Prague

2010-06-08T20:17:00.005+02:00

When Brice's parents came to visit in March we drove to Prague for 2 nights. Although our hotel left a lot to desire, the city of Prague was BEAUTIFUL.

Caden and Kayla on the Charles bridge.

Easter market right outside our hotel.

Guard outside of Prague castle.

Bell tower outside our hotel.

Avery

2010-06-06T16:31:00.003+02:00

Kayla

2010-05-31T22:07:00.005+02:00

Getting ready to perform for her Mother's Day recitle.

Kayla and her friend Ella.

Primary activity. Luau

St. Patrick's Day. Her arms were covered with green tattos.
Birthday Girl. She's 6.

She had a "rock star" party.

We came home from a date to see her asleep like this. Nice mask.

Caden

2010-05-31T21:18:00.008+02:00

I know it's been a while. Here's how I'll catch up. Each kid gets a post about what they've been doing and then I'll tackle or family activities and vacations.

He had a play at school with the entire 2nd grade. He had a major speaking part. He did awesome and we were so proud.

Field trip to the Frankfurt zoo. His grade had bee studying endangered animals. I was a chaperon along with my other sidekicks Kayla and Avery. They weren't supposed to come, but that's a different story.

Primary activity. Luau

St. Patrick's Day. Green tattoos under sweater and on cheek.

Saturday Basketball.

Baptism

2nd grade science fair. He made a Cartesian diver.

Next up....Kayla.

One Happy Fan!

2010-01-11T20:15:00.002+01:00

Last week Caden got a belated birthday gift in the mail. His uncle Steve somehow manged to get him an autographed football from the BYU football team. It has all of the big name players on it which Caden imediatly started to recognize. With every name that he read he grew more and more excited. He could not believe that the actual players that he watches and talks about held this football and signed their own names. He is soooo proud of it and shows it to anyone and everyone that comes over. He would take it to school if we would let him. He has talked and talked about getting a football signed by one of them, but now his dream has come true.

Thanks Steve for making this eight year old fan very happy. Your thoughtfulness means a lot to Caden and to Brice and I. Caden will cherish this gift forever.

Once There Was A Snowman...

2010-01-10T18:09:00.004+01:00

We had our 3rd big snow this weekend. It was by far the biggest but not the best for packing. We tried to build a snowman but it was slow in coming. We finally got one we were satisfied with thanks to the remnants of our neighbour's snowman from last week.

Kayla is trying to even out the lumps in the little fella.

Avery was content playing with the bucket and shovel. She loves the snow and was sad when we came in.

The finished product. It looks more like a snow blob but we are still proud of it.

Rewarded for their efforts. I was nice and bought them a treat but still made them split a Sprite.

It was a fun afternoon and a nice way to end their winter break, but so help me if it snows again tonight and they don't have school tomorrow I will poke out my eyes. Three weeks! Three weeks for a school break. I love 'em but will be doing the happy dance when they get on the bus in the morning.

Happy Halloween '09

2009-11-02T09:29:00.006+01:00

This year's costumes were Hannah Montana, football player (Giants) and a witch/ladybug.

So Avery wore the witch costume to our church Halloween party, but hated the hat so much (in fact I think we lost it at church) that she would not wear the witch costume again. So in the back of the dress up closet she found this little number. It is actually a baby bunting costume for a 6 month old (notice the sleeves only come down to her elbows) but she INSISTED on wearing it. So I cut the bottom out and she went out as a ladybug on Halloween night.

We have enough candy to last us until next year, so the night was considered a success.

Tropical Island

2009-10-23T09:00:00.004+02:00

The kids had a school break a few weeks ago, so we took a mini vacation to Tropical Island. This is a man made resort just outside of Berlin. We stayed at a hotel nearby and spent almost 4 days here. We had a wonderful time swimming, watching shows and eating good food.

This is the dome that houses the resort. They claim that it is big enough to hold the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower.

Kayla and Avery

Brice playing a game of mini golf with Caden

Caden

All of the entrance gates were activated by an electronic bracelet. Avery would see us put our wrist on the panel so she would too.

This was the non water play area. They had ball pits, go carts, shooting towers, bouncy houses and much more. We spent many hours here.

The kids climbing up the rubber volcano

Misty and Avery

Speed racer Caden

Avery with just a few building blocks

Kayla and Caden in the paddle boats

Avery enjoying some yummy pasta.

One of the many shows we watched

Even Avery, Ms.Never Sits Still, was captivated with the entertainment

This place was amazing. It is open 24 hours a day, all year round. They have sleeping facilities, tons of restaurants, ice cream and stores. We were there for 4 days and the kids wanted to stay longer. Definitely a memorable family trip.

#37

2009-10-07T08:00:00.007+02:00

Today is Brice's 37th birthday.

Here are 37 reasons why I love this man. (in no particular order)

37. He is funny. It may take a while for him to warm up to you, but when you know him, he can always make you laugh.

36. He is the smartest person I know. He always knows the answer to any question I have.

35. He is book smart too. He went to college on a full scholarship and then had a 4.0 (top of his class) in graduate school.

34. He is passionate about sports and involves Caden in his passion. He stays up all night on Saturday's to watch college football and even wakes Caden up to see a good game.

33. He gives great gifts. I'd be hard pressed to think of something he has given me that I have wanted to return.

32. He encourages me to have friends.

31. He likes me to shop for him and pick out what to buy. Then he always makes me get something for myself too.

30. He is my best friend. There isn't anyone else in the world that I would rather spend my time with.

29. He gives me "mommy breaks" without having to ask for them.

28. He rarely says a word about all of the packages he brings home for me although he secretly thinks online shopping is evil.

27. He shares my love for warm weather and hate for the cold. Both of our favorite vacations is at the beach doing nothing.

26. He will see chick flicks with me even though he usually doesn't like them.

25. He thinks I am a great mom and tells me so.

24. When I call him at work and and say that I'm trying to think of what to make for dinner, he always has the right answer. "You don't have to cook, I'll just have some cereal."

23. He tells the kids that I am the smartest of the two of us, even though it's not true.

22. He hates Monday mornings.

21. He is a "hands on" dad. Other than nursing a baby and cutting fingernails, there isn't a single parenting job he won't or hasn't done. That includes diapers, baths and ponytails.

20. I trust him 100%.

19. He supports me in my church calling. I know he will teach a class if one of my teachers doesn't show up. Even the Valiant boys.

18. Although I rarely make him, he offers to do the grocery shopping because he knows how much I hate it.

17. He is disciplined in saving money while still seeing the importance of spending it in order to have fun and create experiences and memories for our family.

16. He has great taste in music and is a very talented writer.

15. He honors his priesthood and is always trying to be a better person.

14. He has great work ethic. He is the "golden boy" in his office.

13. He still thinks I'm beautiful after 12 years of marriage even with new wrinkles, grey hairs, stretch marks and saggy parts.

12. He still offers to rub my feet after a long day.

11. He doesn't mind saying that he's sorry.

10. He is a hot, handsome, sexy man and still makes my heart skip a beat.

9. He is a wonderful father. He always makes time for his kids and cares about what is going on with them.

8. He really loves his family. He has a great respect and honor for his parents.

7. He shares my love for eating out and my hate for always trying to lose 10 lbs.

6. He does the dishes every night. Yes, every night!

5. He is the first person I come to with good news, sad news, complaints and even gossip. And he always listens.

4. He is just as obsessive about keeping the house picked up as I am. I never have to pick up after him.

3. He lets me know that he loves me everyday by the little things he does.

2. Although he will appreciate this "ode" to him, he will be a little embarrassed at all of the attention it brings to him. He is not a fan of the limelight.

1. He asked me to marry him 12 years ago.

This was a very easy list to make. There are so many more reason why he is such an amazing guy. I love you.

Happy Birthday Brice!

The Lonle Cat

2009-09-22T08:59:00.000+02:00

Now that Caden is in the 2nd grade he has homework every night. And since Kayla is just in Kindergarten, she never has homework other than light reading each night. Our normal after school routine is come home, get a snack, play or watch TV for about 20 minutes and then we start homework (Caden's homework). I don't let Kayla watch TV while Caden is doing his homework because he just gets too distracted, even if he is in the other room. So she usually just hangs out and colors or something. Last week she decided to write a book. Introducing "The Lonle Cat".

The Lonely Cat

The cat had no one to play with.

Then the cat came to a castle.

Then the cat found a friend.

Then the cats went the cat park.

Then the cats went to get some ice cream.

Then the cats ate the ice cream.

Then they lived happy ever after.

The End

She wrote it all by herself (obviously) although my spelling isn't much better. She only asked me one question. "Do you spell found with ou or ow?"

Kayla has written several books. She is just an easy kid like that. Give her some paper and she's content for hours. LOVE HER! Our other 2 kids are the opposite, so I will embrace and enjoy the low key child that she is.

Children's Festival

2009-09-17T15:21:00.007+02:00

We rounded out the summer fun with the Children's Festival in downtown Frankfurt. 10 Kids, 3 mommies, a beautiful sunny day in August and lots of free activities was our recipe for fun.

The crew

Caden running in the fountain

Kayla making a few laps

Avery splashing

Kayla relaxing

Avery warming up with Kim

One of the MANY bouncy houses

Kayla climbing up the net

Caden at the top

Caden resting on the naked lady statue

Avery exploring

A posing Kayla

Kayla doing a little engineering

Caden collecting balls to send down Kayla's tunnel

The bucket slide was the big hit.

Can you imagine a ride like this in the U.S.? No rails, no buckles, just stick you kid in and let 'em go.

Caden was with the big kids group at the bull ride, climbing wall and other rides, so I didn't get as many pictures of him.

We had a great day in downtown Frankfurt.

A Haunted Surprise

2009-09-17T14:50:00.002+02:00

It's been a busy few weeks since the kids have been back in school. I know. It should be the other way around and I should have more time on my hands. But somehow time has gotten away from me. In time I will catch up on this blog. For now, I will start with some of the things we did over the summer.

The kids called me upstairs for a surprise. All of the lights were turned out and I saw Kayla standing still as a statue like this.......

I know I was supposed to be scared, but I couldn't help but laugh. For some odd reason I found her "cute" in her morbid costume.

Cade then jumped out at me.

The room was set up with lots of scarey things like this ghost.

The scarey ghost.....

....was just a horse.

I was glad to see them having fun together and using their imagination, considering they are usually fighting. It was a nice surprise.

Blink, Blink...

2009-08-27T15:02:00.007+02:00

...and there went 2 years. Avery turned 2 last week and I have to say that the past 2 years have flown by. Of course everything related to Avery is about speed. You remember her birth story right? I'll refrain from going into the details, although I deserve to share that story over and over and over again. Maybe from now on I should start out every post with that story..........For example, a post about the park would read....So I was taking the kids to the park. Caden, Kayla and the one that shot from my body in 45 minutes. No, not 45 minutes of pushing. The child that had me dialated at a one and then was out of my body 45 minutes later. Yea, that one. Or a post about a date night would read....So I was out to dinner with the man that had to miss his daughter's birth because she just couldn't wait 10 more minutes. Or a simple post about a trip to the grocery store could say.....So I had to take a quick trip the the grocery store for milk. While I was pushing the cart with the child that made me push her out of my womb with no drugs, I grabbed some fresh bananas. Hmm....something to ponder.

Anyway, she turned 2. I am not really big on giving birthday parties if I don't have to, so we kept it simple and just had cupcakes at the park. She seemed content with that.

Avery Grace

2009-08-16T22:45:00.003+02:00

Her shades are purple,

Her brush is blue.

She's grooming her Barbies,

with two cool tattoos.

Hoopster

2009-08-15T20:49:00.010+02:00

Caden is our little athlete. He really enjoys playing most sports, but he LOVES basketball. We have a basketball court in the park that we go to everyday. So he always takes his basketball and shoots hoops. Over and over and over again.

Here are a few short clips of some of his shots.

Mainfest '09

2009-08-11T15:31:00.014+02:00

Two years ago, just a few weeks before Avery was born, we went downtown to the Mainfest on the river. It is a huge festival with lots of spinning rides, overpriced games and delicious fair food. Despite being 9 months pregnant in the summer heat, we had a wonderful time. The kids talked about it for months. So when the festival came again this year, we went.

The festival is located right on the Main River, which makes it even more exciting.

The first thing we did was ride the HUGE ferris wheel.

Caden and Avery on the ferris wheel.

City view from up top

Frankfurt

Kayla

Avery having a good time on the big kids ride

Avery and Misty (obviously not ready for the picture)

Caden playing a throwing game. We tried to tell him what a wast of money it was, but he insisted. When he only got some plastic vampire teeth as a prize, he finally believed us. Oh well, that's what the fair is all about....memories and not money.

Brice, Caden and Kayla on a spinning ride. I don't really do spinning things very well in my "old age" so Brice took them. They LOVED it. (Video at the end of post.)

Kayla on the BIG swings. These things were huge, but they wanted to ride. When I put Kayla in the chair she got a little apprehensive and wanted me to ride next to her. I did, felt sick and was grateful that I'm not pregnant and have to feel this way every day. Ugh. I should have know better....I don't do spinning things.

Caden on the swings

Kayla and Avery on the "little kids" ride. Aver rode it 3 times. She threw a huge fit when we made her finally get off.

Perfect end to a great family night out!

See how fast this ride was. I get nauseous just watching. Caden and Kayla had a blast!

Italy...with kids

2009-07-29T10:36:00.014+02:00

When we were planning our family trip to Italy we knew what kind of vacation we wanted it to be. Very relaxed. We wanted everyone to enjoy it. Our first and easy decision was to fly. An hour and a half flight compared to a 10 hour drive was a no brainer for us. Next decision was no (or very little) sightseeing. We knew the kids would hate walking around in the summer heat looking at a museums and a bunch of old buildings. And just as much, Brice and I would hate having to hear them complain about it. So we decided to hit the beach (a lot), the pool, and one or two sights.

Picking up our rental car. Traveling with kids requires A LOT of stuff.

After a little confusion (on the rental company's part) we picked up our car. They gave us a BMW because it was the biggest one they had. Even then it was too small to fit all of our car seats in. I guess there just aren't very many requests from people with 3 kids.

The beach. We stayed in a town just outside of Pisa. The beach was sooo clean and not crowed at all. The first day we went there we had beautiful weather.

See, no one else there. We had the whole place practically to ourselves.

Kayla in the sand.

Caden in the sand.

Avery in the sand. Despite her facial expression in this picture, she LOVED the beach...sand and water.

Kayla having a snack in the shade of the umbrella.

Caden and Kayla collecting shells.

A very tired Avery. Although she really didn't nap at all during our 5 days in Italy (except in the car) she did amazingly well. No crying at all.

Misty and kids

(Leaning Tower of Pisa in the background)

Pisa, Italy

A very crowed Field of Miracles

The family and the tower

Inside the cathedral

So our day trip to Pisa was pretty stress free. The kids all had a good time posing for the traditional "holding up the leaning tower" picture. We grabbed pizza from a vendor and had lunch on the grass looking up at the tower. Besides taking the standard pictures and going inside the church, there really isn't much else to do in Pisa. I am sure that we spent more time wandering thru the hundreds of souvenir stands than we did looking at the sights.

Second to the beach, the kids favorite part of the trip was bowling at the hotel. Yeah, we go to Italy and the kids keep wanting to go bowling. We only went twice. After a day at the beach, we would come back, shower, eat dinner and then bowl.

Caden in action

Dancing to the jute box at the bowling alley

Our only other attempt at sight seeing was Florence. We knew that we weren't going into any museums (we learned our lesson in Cologne). So our "plan" which really wasn't much of a plan was to take a train over to Florence, walk around the city, take some pics, eat some gelato and then head back.

Some where in Florence

Random statue on Florence

More buildings in Florence. The blue sign on the right is the gelato place we ate at. It was called "Very Good". And I would have to say it was "OK". Gelato is yummy anyways, but I have had better.

So our trip to Florence was a surefire disaster. Partly because of our lack of planning and partly because we have kids too young to appreciate culture and old enough to complain about it. The train we took was very hot and crowed. We should have driven, but we thought the train would be fun, it was cheap, and it took us right in the middle of town. So after we arrive and are already hot, sweaty, hungry and tired of hearing our kids complain, we try and find someplace to eat. The first thing we see when we step outside the train station was McDonald's. Yea, we pretty much went to Florence, Italy to eat at McDonald's. Sitting at the table, Brice and I both feel like eating and then getting right back on the train home. But we pulled out our map and made a half hearted effort to find some of the major sights. We got sidetracked by a "flea market" which was somewhat entertaining. After about an hour of walking and not really seeing much more than tall buildings, we grab our gelato and get back on the train. The ride home was just as miserable, but we survived.

Lesson learned, the rest of the vacation was spent at the beach and pool.

A very happy Avery

The water was pretty choppy this day, but was really fun because of the waves. The waves brought in some really cool shells.

Gelato...again.

Our shell collection

Not including the trip to Florence, we had a fabulous time. Everyone loved the relaxed days in the sun and water. It was just what we wanted and needed.

Das Tollhaus

2009-07-12T17:39:00.000+02:00

We discovered a fun indoor play area that the kids love to go to. They have been begging to head back there but it has been really hot (and this place doesn't have A/C). I caved in and let the kids invite a few friends.

Me and Avery after the slide

Action shot of the girls

Avery being silly.

Kayla and Isiah climbing UP the slide.

Kayla and Isiah

Caden in the bouncy house

Sweaty Kayla

Very hot and sweaty Jayden and Caden

Crashing at the bottom of the slide

Action shot of Caden and Jayden

Ball pit

In the dancing room

Isiah

Good friends

Taking a break

Although it was crazy hot inside that non air conditioned warehouse, it was way better than being outside. This was a shot of my van drowning in the rain.

Your Momma's......

2009-07-07T23:56:00.000+02:00

.....so cheap that instead of taking you to the park, she makes you pull your sister down the stairs on a pillow.

Truth be told, I am not that cheap, I'm just lazy.

I was actually trying to recreate a game that we did when I was little, but the stairs of my youth were not curved and didn't have as much friction. We used to fly down the stairs. My kids kinda had to scoot themselves.

They had fun though and that's what matters.

Overheard...

2009-07-01T15:11:00.002+02:00

.....while Kayla was on the toilet getting a little frustrated while trying to do her business.

"Would you just come on out already. You've been in there all day."

Pause

"Maybe if I shake a little you'll come on out."

Pause

"Finally."

Ye Haw

2009-06-24T22:52:00.002+02:00

I got this hat in Spain last month. I have to say that it looks much cuter on the girls than it does on me.

Ouch!

2009-06-24T13:16:00.004+02:00

It's has been about a month since Caden fell and did a number on his elbow. The scabs are gone and most of the skin is back. He is such a tough little guy. He took this spill at about 5:00 while out on the playground. He was upstairs playing basketball just a few hours later. And of course he HAD to go to school the next day to show off is battle scars.

Newest skill

2009-06-23T21:59:00.006+02:00

The following clip is a surefire bore to anyone except grandparents and maybe a few aunts and cousins. It is a clip of Avery counting. That's it. I would like to get her on tape doing more exciting things, but she doesn't get the concept of the video camera. Whenever she sees it she wants to watch a video on it. So most of the footage I have of her contains her reaching out to the camera saying "watch Kayla" or "watch Avery" and crying because I won't let her. Because of this the following clip shows the back of her head. A lot.

Avery can count to ten. Most might not care, but her mommy is very proud.

Sports Day

2009-06-09T21:55:00.010+02:00

Caden's school had it's annual Sports Day yesterday. For our little athlete, it is the best day of school. The fields are set up with numerous events for the kids to participate in. I got to go and be a volunteer and snap a few shots of Caden in action.

Warming Up

The HIGH jump

Wheel barrel

Volleyball

Hurdles

Water race

Another water even

Tower building

Parachute

End of the events. Heading in for lunch.

After lunch the kids, teachers and moms had races. I raced last year but Caden asked me not to race this year. It's all or nothing for him and he knew I wouldn't win. I didn't take any offense because I am not a runner. He had a great time and crashed hard last night. Way to go Caden.

Mallorca

2009-05-28T06:57:00.006+02:00

Sun, sand and nothing to do but flip from front to back on my beach chair.

I was lucky enough to spend 3 glorious days in Mallorca, Spain with 2 friends (Kim and Kathy). Brice sent me away for my Mother's Day gift while he got stuck at home with 3 kids. Yes, I am a very luck woman...he is the best.

View of the beach from out on the pier.

Sitting on the pier looking into the crystal blue water.

Taking in the view.

Six feet in need of a tan.

Obviously taken on the 1st day.

The water was so beautiful with all the shades of blue. This picture really doesn't do it justice.

Picture taken from our hotel.

Lunch on the beach.

We had a fabulous time. It was so relaxing. We went down to the beach at about 9am and didn't come inside until 6pm for showers and dinner. We read, slept, chatted and people watched. There were a lot of very interesting people to watch and some that you would rather not see since many of the ladies opted for no tan lines. We had a 300 lb lady next to us that went topless. We tried to look away and "delete, delete, delete" the image, but it was useless. Instead we called her "big momma". It was such a beautiful place, that I would love to take Brice and the kids there someday. Thanks again Brice, I love you.

Paris09

2009-05-22T08:00:00.001+02:00

I finally got my pictures back from the pathetic disposable camera I had to buy in Paris. Picture quality is obviously lacking, but at least our memories have been captured.

The last time I went to Paris I went with my sister and Caden. We did a lot of walking and saw a lot of sights, but went at a much slower pace than Brice and I did in April.

I can not even guess how many steps we went up. Over 700 just at The Eiffel Tower, plus all of the other sights and a ton navigating the subway. We walked miles and miles (mostly up and down the Champs -Elysées). We were really tired, but had a wonderful time. I am so glad that I got to see this amazing city again with Brice.

The Sacre Coeur

"Venus de Milo" at The Louvre

Arc de Triomphe - Located at the western end of the Champs-Elysées

Notre Dame Cathedral

Eiffel Tower

The line at the Eiffel Tower

View from 700+ stairs up the Tower

Tower at night

Notre Dame

W also visited the Sainte -Chapelle which has the most amazing stained glass.

We were in Paris over Easter weekend. So you can imagine being at some of the most famous churches in the world over a religious holiday. It was very, very crowed. We didn't mind because it gave us more people to watch. Our trip highlights were having an fabulous lunch on the Champs=Elysees and the view from the Eiffel Tower.

They're Back!

2009-05-21T07:20:00.003+02:00

I have 4 new loves in my life and Brice doesn't mind one bit! Caden loved 'em. Kayla loved 'em. Now it's Avery's turn.

Avery is by far our most active child. She has never had any interest in sitting still, much less watching TV. No Baby Einstein, no Barney, nothing....until now. We have several Wiggles DVDs but she will only watch one...over and over and over again. She asks for the Wiggles first thing when she wakes up although her pronunciation sounds nothing like "wiggles". However I am amazed and equally embarrassed that her vocabulary has doubled since watching this show. She knows all of the songs and even the dance moves....I must get it on tape. She is starting to make 2-3 word sentences and can repeat almost everything we say. Thanks to Greg, Anthony, Jeff and Murray.

My Fallen Apple

2009-05-15T09:54:00.008+02:00

They say "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". Truer words were never spoken when it comes to my sweet Kayla. She is just like me...good and bad. She is extremely independent and not only doesn't want/need help with things, she can get upset when given unsolicited help. When ever she gets upset with me for helping her do something, I usually apologize for not asking first and then say, "I know just how you feel, you are just like mommy." Her independence is extremely evident in her appearance. She always picks out her own clothes and dresses herself and always wants to "fix" her own hair. I usually don't mind and let her do her own thing, except in a few instances.....like school pictures.

Yes, I picked out her clothes and fixed her hair. She did not like it at all, but went along because I had been telling her for a few days that it was going to happen.

She looks cute huh? I think so. Kayla will usually fix her hair with a simple headband, but sometimes she throws in a little something extra.....like a half ponytail in a clip. I have no idea where she gets it, or why she likes it, but to each her own.

Notice the hair-in-face look

Behold the half ponytail.

To prove my point again, just notice the hair sported in the picture below. It is hard to tell because my hair is dark, but I too have my hair pulled back on one side and a nice big fly back on the other. I did my own hair and little sister's hair....FOR FAMILY PICTURES.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T19:01:00.003+02:00

What a wonderful day. Every year my only gift request for Mother's Day, is the gift of time. I just want the day off. Not necessarily the day away from my kids, because I love to be around them on Mother's Day, but off from the normal daily tasks that aren't so fun.

Brice always comes through and gets up with the kids, feeds them, gets them dressed, does dishes, housework, gives them all the attention the are begging for. I can just sit back and "enjoy" them without all of the fighting and bickering.

However this year he was extra wonderful. My friend Kim has been wanting to get away for Memorial Day for a moms only trip. But because of the Paris and Amsterdam trips Brice and I recently took and the family vacation we are taking in July, we decided that a mom's trip just wasn't in the budget. So for Mother's Day Brice secretly told Kim that I am on board for the trip and surprised me with the news. We are for sure where we are going, but at the top of the list is Palma de Mallorca. Doesn't it look sooooo relaxing!

Me and the kids today.

Sweet bouquet of candy flowers the kids made at church for me.

(Of course, as Primary President I made all of the flowers for them to assemble, but it was still nice to reap the rewards of my labor)

Heartfelt letter Caden wrote to me.

He also painted me a picture of a beautiful butterfly.

Front few of the "breakfast in a bag" from Kayla.

My breakfast :)

This afternoon we spent hours in the back playing with the kids as they rode bikes, played soccer, watered our flowers and just enjoying being a family. I feel very blessed to have 3 beautiful children and an amazing husband.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms I know and love.

Holland

2009-05-04T10:18:00.012+02:00

I still have to post about our trip to Paris, but I was a big doofus and forgot my camera. I had to buy a disposable one. I just sent it off to get developed and will post as soon as I get the pictures back. But in the meantime......Holland!

Last weekend Brice and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary. To celebrate, we went on a quick overnighter to Holland.

One of the things on our to do list while living in Europe was to visit the tulips in Holland. Keukenhof Flower Gardens in a small town just outside of Amsterdam called Lisse. Keukenhof boasts of being "the most photographed place on earth". I don't know if it's true or not, but by the gazillion people that were there, it just might be so. We hit the gardens just at the peak season and enjoyed several hours of beautiful blossoms. We could have stayed longer and seen more, but when you have looked at flowers for several hours, they all start to look the same.

Our hotel was in Amsterdam. We had a great time touring the city on a really cool canal boat. And while we really enjoyed seeing the city and it's sites, the most entertaining part was people watching. "Anything Goes" is the creed I give to Amsterdam. You could never be the weirdest person there, because no matter how weird or "unique" you are, there is bound to be someone just a little weirder. You can wear just about every color scheme and pattern all in the same outfit and no one would blink an eye. You want to walk around bare foot......ok, not problem, you'll fit right in. You want to cross dress, have blue hair, dress like a movie star, dress like a slob...ok, "anything goes". It was awesome. But of course in a city where both prostitution and marijuana are legal, what do you expect?

Because of all the canals and small bridges the city has, the roads are very crowed and narrow. There really aren't a lot of cars there because most people get around on bikes. You can imagine what driving our big of minivan was like on the crowed streets. The bikers are right there in front of, beside and almost on top of you.

Crowed city corner

Old church

Inside the diamond museum

Rijks museum

Taste of home

(notice the silver angel buying a hot dog?)

Line to visit the Ann Frank house

In front of the Ann Frank house

We toured the secret annex Ann Frank and her family hid in for 2 years as she kept her famous diary. I re-read the diary before we left and had a really powerful experience visiting this house.

Some of the unique architecture found in Amsterdam

Bike garage. There were thousands and thousands of bikes everywhere.

View of one of the many bridges

House boat

View from the canal

We were only in Amsterdam for 2 days, but it was long enough to get a good feel for the city. I know there are outskirts of the city with houses, normal streets and families. However the city center is just as you would image...the good and the bad. It was really nice to see the beautiful buildings, historic museums and unique people. A "must do" when visiting Europe.

Runway Ready

2009-04-17T15:27:00.003+02:00

It doesn't take much effort to notice that Europeans are a little more fashion forward than the rest of us. Whenever I am out in public here in Germany I am in awe at how the women seem to be able to look so polished, glamorous and runway ready. Don't even get me started on how they can walk the old cobblestone streets in their pumps. But they do!

I don't think I have seen a German woman under 50 wear a sensible shoe. I mean a shoe that feels good on your feet and that doesn't kill your never endings. Even the mommies are sporting the tailored clothes, perfect hair and make-up and the fancy shoes. Needless to say I always feel old and frumpy when I head downtown.

A few weeks back Brice and I were going out..downtown...and I decided that I was going to blend in, or at least try too. So I slid on my skinny jeans and brought out the pumps. Feeling pretty good about my efforts, we headed out. I was doing just fine on the 10 minute walk to the metro stop. I sat through dinner with ease. It wasn't until we were walking through the new mall that I was feeling a little "uncomfortable" in my fancy shoes. I pushed through, telling myself we would be sitting down at the movies soon. Of course once in the theater I sliped the 2 little torture devices off my feet, not even caring about the disgusting floor beneath them.

You can imagine the pain of having to slip those little buggers back on and walk home. I made it most of the way when Brice couldn't take the limping anymore and threw me onto his back (my hero). The poor guy carried me the rest of the way home, up the 3 flights of stairs with out one complaint. However he did almost drop me a few steps way from our front door when I said "I am totally blogging about this."

Trend Setters

2009-04-17T15:11:00.002+02:00

Last week we had to pick Brice up from work. I had kinda lost track of time and looked at the clock just in time to see we had to leave...now. I hurried the kids to get their shoes on when I noticed what they were wearing. It's actually not too bad, but made me chuckle when I remember thinking "I will never be that mother that lets her children out of the house looking like.....

.....kids." They look like kids. Kids whose mom lets them put on their PJ's at 3 in the afternoon just because they want to. Kids whose mom lets them wear several shades of blue because it's their favorite color. Kids whose mom lets them wear their swimming suit all day because they had such a good time at the pool earlier that week. Too bad we had to wait in the car and couldn't show off the latest trend setters.

Wrestle Mania

2009-04-17T14:27:00.002+02:00

Just a few pictures of Avery and Kayla goofing around. I'm not sure how it started or why Kayla was wrapped up in her blanket, but the girls had a good time.

I think Avery's part was grabbing Kayla's nose...ah how easily they are entertained.

Cologne

2009-04-12T22:21:00.007+02:00

Last weekend we took an overnight trip to Cologne, Germany. It is a 1 1/2 hour drive that we have wanted to make since we got here. The kids aren't too big on sight seeing so we made the trip exciting for them by booking a hotel with a swimming pool.

Lunch at Hard Rock Cafe

We visited the Lindt Chocolate Factory. It was really cool and the kids were very interested in seeing how chocolate is made. Of course the amazing chocolate fountain and free samples weren't too bad either.

Kids posing on the Lindt bunny bench with the Rhine river in the background.

Caden and Kayla enthralled with the demonstrations

Avery being interested in nothing but trying to get us kicked out by pulling on tubing and wires

Cool chocolate shapes

After our tour we stopped by the chocolate cafe for some yummy cake

This is the famous Gothic cathedral. It was one of the most impressive sights that I have seen here in Europe. It is HUGE!

Caden and Kayla posing with a guy in costume and silver paint.

View from up in the tower. We climber 509 stairs to get this view.

Inside the cathedral

After the climb up. Props to Brice for carrying Avery up the VERY narrow and winding stairs and then carrying Kayla 1/2 way down. Way to go kids!

The last thing we did was to tour the Ludwig museum. We thought we could get some extra parenting points by letting our kids see a few Picasso paintings and other famous pieces of art. I won't go into all of the details, but taking 3 kids to a museum that is not targeted for them is a bad idea. We had several museum curators give us the stink eye for being loud and giggly. Maybe I'm small minded, but I just don't get modern art. A white canvas with a dot of paint, or drawings resembling something Kayla did when she was 2 or my favorite, the cardboard box stapled to a wall is not art. Especially compared to the masterpieces I saw at the Louvre in Paris a few days ago.

Over all it was a good trip. However, any guilt Brice and I may have felt for not taking our kids to more European places was washed away. I will say in now and say it loud, I do not like traveling with my kids. They aren't "bad" per say, it is just sooooo much work. They are just as or even more content to go to the local swimming pool or amusement park. That is why we will be doing most of our trips sans the little angles from here on out.

What did you eat for lunch?

2009-04-12T22:17:00.002+02:00

Avery had a Smurf.

Tea For Two

2009-04-12T21:53:00.003+02:00

A few weeks ago Kayla was really into playing tea party. It seemed like we had 3 or 4 a day. She would spend a good amount of time getting it all set up and then I would come up stairs (only when she called me and only if I "rang" the door bell pretending to be her friend).I'm not sure how you play tea party with your daughters, but we use Cherry Coke and chocolate chips.

Pretty hostess Kayla

I love this little girl. She is so creative, imaginative and sweet. She loves to cuddle and just be with mommy.

Tea party is only one of the MANY things she wants to play each day. We play our fair share of "school", "sleepover", "going to the movies" (we never actually watch a movie but pretend to call and ask our moms, find something to wear, drive to the the theater and buy our tickets and popcorn). Of course we play "house", "going shopping", and "sleeping beauty" (I get to sleep and she brushed my hair). Thanks to my sweet girl for the memories.

Procrastination

2009-04-08T09:28:00.002+02:00

I am "taking a break" from writing my talk for Stake Conference. I am sitting at the computer listening to Caden sing to himself upstairs while he cleans his room. Don't be too impressed with him though, he is doing it so he can earn money, not because he is such an wonderful obedient child.
Ok, he just came down and said that he cleaned his room, Kayla's room and the entire upstairs....I guess we can be a little impressed with him.

Kayla is at school for a few more hours. Avery is still asleep and Caden is on Spring Break for 2 weeks.

I have a lot to blog about, but so little time. We took a fun trip to Cologne, Germany this weekend. Fun pictures and stories to share soon.

Brice and I are heading to Paris in a few days....ALL BY OURSELVES!

All right, enough of these random thoughts, I must get back to writing my talk....it needs to be done before we leave on Friday....ugh this is no fun.

Obvious Growth Spurt

2009-03-23T22:26:00.002+01:00

The candy drawer that was once a place that Avery could only point at and say "ucker" in hopes we would give her a treat......is now within reach!

It only took her a few minutes to make this little pile of unwrapped, licked once and set aside suckers and tape gum.

Once I found her I took some pictures and then left her be. I mean, she was being still and quite. Why mess up a good thing?

Looking for any last victims.

Empty bag....mission accomplished.

Of course one sucker in hand is just not enough.

For the Love of Money

2009-03-23T22:07:00.002+01:00

Caden: "Mommy. When can we go to the toy store and buy something?"
Me: "When you have some money."
Caden: "What can I do to earn some money?"
Me: "The dishes."

He was so proud, and actually did a good job. You see that bowl he just cleaned? Well a few short hours later Avery pulled it off of the counter top and it shattered. She is a ball of terror.

We Rock!

2009-03-16T08:29:00.002+01:00

Kayla turned 5 this weekend. This year she wanted a "Camp Rock" themed party. So we made lots of glittery stars, decorated cardboard guitars and had lots of fun.

Here is the birthday girl taking a swing at her guitar pinata.

Getting ready to blow out the candles.

The party guests decorating their guitars.

Kayla posing for a picture.

My labor of love.

Kayla is such a sweet girl. She had good time at her party and was so grateful for everything she got. She is having fun playing with her new barbies and creating art with her new craft supplies. I however am still cleaning up glitter.

I'm Getting the Pledge Out

2009-03-09T10:03:00.003+01:00

and dusting off this blog. This poor blog has been left neglected and collecting dust for way too long. The poor thing had its one year birthday and I didn't even notice.

I have had so many things going on that it just got pushed further and further down on my "to do" list. Not that my "to do" list is any shorter, but that annoying "tap, tap, tap" sound of fingers impatiently strumming in my head has forced me to take a moment and update.

Our family hasn't really done anything overly exciting in the last 2 months. In fact, that is probably one of the reasons I haven't updated. I have been waiting for some great trip to write about, or some interesting insight to share, but alas it is just the same 'ole routine. Early morning wake-ups, bus stop drop off, preschool drop off, house chores, preschool pick up, grocery store, bus stop pick up...yada, yada, yada. You get the picture.

I have been busy with my church calling. The beginning of the year has been filled with getting things in order with Primary, but I think I finally have all the programs running as they should and schedules made. In fact I think I'll poke my eyes out if I have to color and laminate one more piece of card stock.

Kids are good and growing and changing. Caden has been playing Saturday basketball with Brice as his coach. Kayla has her 5th birthday this weekend and Avery started nursery at church.
It seems like we have had an extra dose of sick germs this winter. We keep picking up and passing things around. Nothing major, just your average colds and coughs and snotty noses. But the weather is warming up and hopefully we will get a break soon.
I'll dig thru some pictures soon and try and post a little of what's been or not been going on in our house.

Open for Business

2009-01-12T09:37:00.004+01:00

Kayla is now accepting clients in need of a fresh coat of polish.

In her defense the polish she was using was thick and lumpy and should have been throw out last year.

All by Myself

2009-01-12T09:27:00.003+01:00

I'm hoping that next time I'll walk in and she'll be changing her own diaper.

On a cold day in November

2009-01-12T03:09:00.013+01:00

I think most people have seen these pictures, but I wanted to share them for some of our family that hasn't. It's also a treat for all of you blog stalkers.

A big thank you to Makenna (www.makephotographie.blogspot.com) for a wonderful job!

Poland

2009-01-07T14:10:00.007+01:00

Shortly after we arrived in Germany, I heard the buzz about Polish pottery. Famous for it's rich colors and unique patterns, it is the big thing to collect while in Germany (at least it's big with the American women). Several friends came and went on trips to Poland to buy beautiful pottery at extremely low prices. I declined invitations to go for different reasons until a few months ago.

I was a good girl and didn't buy too much (at least compared to others I was with). Here are a few of my favorite things that I brought home.

My big fruit bowl, Christmas ornaments, and "I Am A Child of God" plates for my kids.

My friend Kim is addicted to the stuff. She's been on several trips. This is a small portion of her collection. It is so pretty.

Kim and I in one of the many pottery stores. The stuff was everywhere!

We stayed at a charming little hotel. (www.bluebeetroot.com)

Me with my ice cream

Good times with good friends.

I have to thank Brice who not only encouraged me to go on this trip to have a mommy break, but also took off work to take care of the kids. I love that man.

It was such a fun trip. Not only was the shopping a blast, but the company and conversation was a nice break.

As far as Poland goes, it was cold and grey and bleak. I'm sure there are beautiful sights to see, but we were on a mission...a shopping mission.

Frankfurt Christmas Market

2009-01-05T11:32:00.003+01:00

I know Christmas has come and gone, but I still wanted to post some pictures from the Frankfurt Christmas market. There are markets all over Germany but we stayed close to home and headed to downtown Frankfurt. When the market first opened around Thanksgiving, Brice and I headed down by ourselves. A few weeks later we went again with the kids. We had a wonderful time except for when we lost Kayla for a few minutes. When Brice went to get tickets to ride the carousel she thought we were getting on. After my mini panic attack we enjoy the rest of the visit.

View from on top of the carousel.

The markets sure bring out the crowds.

There are hundreds of booths selling delicious food and beautiful things.

Misty eating a scone topped with Nutella.

Kayla and Avery on the carousel

2009-01-05T10:48:00.002+01:00

Brice and the kids getting roasted chestnuts.

Not sure what this lady is supposed to be, but the kids wanted their picture with her.

Caden and Avery on the carousel.

Caden enjoying one of the many treats he got.

Brice and Misty and our delicious bratwursts

Happy Birthday Caden

2008-12-28T21:02:00.003+01:00

7 years ago today our first child was born. Indulged me while I take a walk down memory lane.

Newborn

One year old

2 years old

3 years old

2008-12-28T20:38:00.002+01:00

4 years old

5 years old

6 years old

7 years old

What a wonderful 7 years it has been. My sweet, new born baby boy has grown into a independent, smart, sensitive young man. He can drive me crazy with his perfectionist quirks, but can melt my heart with his inviting open arms for some cuddles with mom. He is so concerned with what others think and feel, which can be to his detriment at times. He has recently taken a love for sports (especially football) with has created a special bond with him and Brice. I love to see them curl up together to watch a game or pile up all of my couch cushions for a game of catch. He has such a soft spot for his baby sister, and a not so soft spot for his little sis. They can be the best of friends and the worst of enemies. He loves music and thinks he is "so cool" with his new MP3 player (best $20 I ever spent). He is a protector to his 2 sisters but will always be my baby boy. I love you Caden.

Fall Pictures

2008-11-25T15:21:00.003+01:00

Ironically I am posting Fall pictures as the snow is coming down outside. These were taken about a month ago. We have a lot of trees in our community and the kids had a blast playing in all of the leaves.

Fun Fall Pictures

2008-11-25T15:03:00.002+01:00

Fun Fall Pictures

2008-11-25T14:23:00.003+01:00

The Louvre

2008-11-19T20:20:00.003+01:00

Because I am having such a hard time keeping this blog updated, I'll just give the quick story of our trip to the Louvre. I am not an artsy, fartsy type of person, so going to a big museum was not my first priority while in Paris. But.....It was my absolute favorite. Now for the quick version.

-Arrive at Louvre @ 5:30 pm (been awake since 4:45 am)
-I'm tired, Caden is even worse but not complaining
-I anticipate much complaining and requests to be carried around the Louvre.
-I request free "pushchair" for Caden b/c I don't want to be holding him.
-"pushchair" is a wheelchair and everyone thinks Caden is disabled.
-get lots of special treatment b/c of said "pushchair"
-I make Caden sit in it the entire time b/c I don't want to give up said treatment
-I start to feel a bit guilty when we are escorted around and in front the mass of people looking at the Mona Lisa
-We are standing only inches in front of Mona Lisa and I really feel really bad
-We walk around for over 2 hours and still only see 1/2 of one of the 3 floors.
-Our dogs are barking and we head back to the hotel

Misty and Caden outside of the Louvre

The famous Mona Lisa (picture taken before our personal escort)

Fancy art and the "Crown Jewels"

Paintings and paintings and more paintings

Caden and Misty in front of the Venus de Milo

Awesome time!!!! We went on to see many more wonderful sights while in Paris. We saw Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees and much more. We loves sipping our hot coco and eating our crossiants at the French Bistro. I'm sure I'll make it back there with Brice to see the many other sights we missed.

Paris

2008-11-18T09:36:00.003+01:00

When my sister visited me last month we were able to take a quick trip to Paris. Last minute changes allowed Caden to tag along. We didn't know until the night before we left who was coming on the trip. When it was decided I asked Caden..."Hey buddy, do you want to go to Paris tomorrow?" OK, so can you imagine as a 6 year old getting that opportunity? We feel very blessed to be able to live here in Germany and have so many chances to enrich our family's life with such experiences.
So at 4:45am Caden, my sister and I headed to the train station to catch the ICE train to Paris. What a way to travel!! We had our own little "room" with closing glass doors. We could get up and walk around the train whenever we wanted. There was even a little bar/bistro for snacks and drinks. It was great. The train took about 4 hours with a few stops along the way.

This picture is deceiving. Caden never slept on the train. This is him "resting" his eyes for about 2 minutes.

When we got to Paris we checked into our hotel and headed out to see the sights. First stop....the Eiffel Tower.

You can either take the elevator up the tower or you can take the stairs. The lines for the elevator were really long, so the overachiever in Shauna and I decided to take the stairs. It actually wasn't that bad. We made it to the first level and took a break to look around and eat.

Looking down from the tower is an amazing map of Europe.

We had lunch inside the Eiffel Tower. Shauna ordered french fries. Yeah, so the French do NOT know how to make good fries.

We had a wonderful time looking at all of the beautiful views. After about an hour we headed to the next stop......the Louvre.

Halloween 2008 (Part 2)

2008-11-17T16:30:00.004+01:00

So after the kids celebrated Halloween with Scouts and their schools the party kept going here in our neighborhood. We went to a fun party, costume contest at the field house.

Caden, Kayla, Misty and Avery

Caden fishing for Halloween goodies

Kayla getting a unicorn painted on her face

Caden adding to his tattoo collection.

After the field house party we headed home for a quick dinner and then out for trick or treating. After an hour of neighbourhood candy collecting we then heading to our church for it's Halloween Party. Yes, another party. There were lots of games, pinatas, yummy food and trunk or treating. At the end of the night the kids had so much candy it wouldn't all fit in our big ole candy drawer. Here we are several weeks later and we still have tons of candy left. Of course all of the "good stuff" is gone, but Halloween is still going strong.

Halloween 2008 (Part One)

2008-11-05T11:15:00.002+01:00

This year Halloween started early in our house. Kayla's class went to the pumpkin patch at the beginning of October. You can imagine what a pumpkin that was picked and carved in early October would look like by the time Halloween came around....green and moldy.

The week of Halloween stared with pumpkin painting on Monday, Caden's school party on Wednesday and Kayla's school celebration on Friday. Pumpkin painting was fun and allowed us to have some jack o lanterns on Halloween since Kayla's poor green guy had been tossed.

Here is Kayla at her school party. She wanted to be Ariel for Halloween. She already had the mermaid costume, so we bought her a long red wig.

So the poor red wig didn't look so good by the time Halloween rolled around. It had been tried on one too many times. So I spent a few hours brushing it out only to have her not want to wear it. So Kayla was Ariel with short brown hair.

On Friday Caden had the day off of school so he came to help me pass out candy to Kayla's class. Here he is in his cowboy costume....again. I told him he didn't have to wear something out of his closet, that I would buy him a new costume, but he really wanted to be a cowboy, go figure.
Avery was a pink kitty cat. A costume given to us by a neighbor. So, minus the red wig that was never worn, we had a $0 in costume expenses. More $ for candy.

Caden's school had a big party with lots of games. Here he is participating in "licorice on a string".

Caden playing "suck the fly in a straw and feed it to the spider" game.

I never dress up for Halloween but in order to help with the party, I was "encouraged" to wear a costume. I was a prisoner......a prisoner of love.

More Italy

2008-11-03T01:28:00.003+01:00

So when Brice and I planned our trip to Italy, we wanted to do nothing but relax. We didn't want to sight see or be pressured to do anything....mission accomplished. In fact, when we were checking in at the Frankfurt airport I looked around in disbelief. I couldn't believe that I only had my purse and a magazine with me. No kids, strollers, car seats or diaper bags......it was just the two of us. I think I would have been happy just hanging out at the airport for 4 days!

Of course Sicily was wonderful. Beautiful weather, beautiful language, beautiful people, delicious food and charming ambiance.

This is the town center where we would sit for hours listening to Italian music and watching all the people.

Brice and I on our bench people watching and soaking up the sun.

There were some very beautiful buildings that we went in. This is inside of a church.

Brice and I eating gelato. We ate a lot of it......More than once a day....every day. It was sooooo good!

Charming little pizzeria we had lunch in.

Thank you again to my mom and sister for watching the kids. Although I missed the kids (just a little) it was so hard to come home. I could have stayed another few days, but work and life demands brought us home away from our little slice of serenity. I defiantly have the travel bug and can see a few more getaways in the remainder of our stay in Europe.

Italy

2008-10-27T10:33:00.004+01:00

Here are just a few pictures from our trip to Italy.

Side street with pretty flowers.

I thought these pots were quite charming.

Our view

A very relaxed Brice and Misty

Our room

High School Musical 3

2008-10-24T10:34:00.002+02:00

HSM 3 opened in Frankfurt last night. One day sooner than it does in the States. That means I get one whole extra day to have those songs stuck in my head. And one extra day to have Kayla continually ask when it comes out on DVD.

So Brice and I played the part of good parents and took Caden and Kayla to see it. We went downtown to the English Theater (slimy, old and smelly) because we don't speak us no German. While Caden tolerated it, I don't think Kayla blinked once. This is her kinda thing and yes I'm glad that it ISN'T Caden's. If I didn't have kids, this movie wouldn't be my cup of tea but it is nice to have a family movie that the kids enjoy.

I read that it is estimated to gross $40 million it's opening weekend, so we were expecting a large crowd. I guess Europe just isn't on board the HSM band wagon because there were only 10 others in the theater. Of course it could be that they prefer to watch it in their own language.....possibly the German theaters were full.

So now we will be buying the soundtrack because my 4 year old daughter needs a few more love ballads to learn.

Sometimes You Need a Professional

2008-10-21T10:00:00.003+02:00

Our attempts at a group photo of the grand kids.

I'm not sure all of the props at Picture People would have helped. We'll try again in a few years.

Rothenburg

2008-10-20T09:35:00.004+02:00

My favorite city in Germany is Rothenburg. It is a romantic, walled city with a lot to do and tons of charm. Our family has been before and I wanted to take my sister and mom there too. To keep my stress level to a minimum, I left Avery at home. Thanks again Brice and Kim. My mom, my sister, me, Caden, Kayla and Shauna's 2 boys made the 2 hour drive one Sunday afternoon.

We stayed in a lovely little hotel.

http://www.klosterstueble.de/ISY/frame-en_hotel.html

This hotel had great personality and an even better breakfast. We feasted on fresh pastries with Nutella.

Rothenburg has a world famous Christmas store. A store that adults could spend hours in admiring the thousands of ornaments and Christmas decorations. In our case it was a store that tiny fingers wanted to touch everything shiny and breakable (one reason Avery didn't come with us). The kids actually did well and enjoyed looking at the store. However, the teddy bear store was more suited for them.

Kayal in front of the bear store.

Caden in the hotel room with his souvenir. The bunk beds in the background were a big hit.

Town center

Charming buildings and shops

The highlight of the trip for me was in the hotel room. As Shauna and I were waiting for the kids to fall asleep we played "props" with our earplugs. Our imaginations were very creative kept us quite entertained. We were laughing so hard our sides were hurting. We did make efforts to stay quite, but our giggles did wake Caden up. Oops.

We ended up cutting the trip short because some of us were feeling under the weather. Despite the cool weather and sickies it was a fun few days.

Rhine River Cruise

2008-10-14T13:23:00.004+02:00

Our first adventure with my family was a Rhine River Cruise. We had never been on one and it was something we had on our to do list. It was a beautiful Saturday....perfect for being out on a boat. Since we had our 3 kids plus my sister's 2 kids (6 and under) we opted for the short version of the boat ride. The scenery was amazing, although I'm sure we missed most of it because we did have 5 kids with us. Our plan was to take the boat all the way to the last stop, hop off and tour a castle, then get back on and head on back. Well I was either taking someone to the bathroom, or keeping someone off the table, or keeping Avery from throwing something into the river because we missed our stop and the boat was on it's return before I noticed.

Lucking there were a few stops on the return trip so we were still able to get off and see a castle.

This is Kayla posing with a castle in the background. Don't you love her hair. It's too fine and short to braid, but she insisted.

Caden posing in front of a castle. Maybe the same one as Kayla...who was keeping track. Notice his nice sweatshirt that is 2-3 sizes too small. In the rush out the door that's all he could find.

This is the view of the river from the top of the castle.

Here is a cool room inside the castle. It was filled with weapons and animal heads.

Me and the kids at the top of the castle.

The highlight of the day was having my mom climb up to the castle. It was a VERY steep and long climb up. She did great and then she wanted to die. We were all very proud of her and I hope she recovers some day.

Getting Sick..........

2008-10-12T10:51:00.002+02:00

of looking at my face when you check my blog? Well, don't poke your eyes out yet, updates to come soon. My mom and sister have been here the past few weeks and I've been busy traveling, visiting and having a great time with them. Lots of pictures and stories to share. I promise.

He's Back!!!!

2008-09-22T10:43:00.003+02:00

After 3 long weeks in Baghdad, Brice is finally home. I am just a little excited to have my man back. I missed him so much!

Saturday Soccer

2008-09-20T22:42:00.004+02:00

Caden and Kayla had their first soccer game last Saturday. It was cold and windy and walking to the van after the game was a nightmare (post of it's own) but the kids had a wonderful time.

Caden played goalie for the first half and got no action. I guess that is good for his team though. Kayla and I stood next to him and kept him company. I think Kayla passed him a few M&Ms.

The second half was a bit more eventful. His team won 3-0.

Kayla has absolutely no idea how to play soccer. When her coach asked if anyone knew the rules of soccer, Kayla anxiously waved her arm in the air and said something about the other team being "it" and having to "tag them" and then your team is "it". I'm sure her coach did a mental "eye roll". But what she lacks in skill, she makes up for in enthusiasm. She had a blast running with the crowd. I'm pretty sure she never kicked the ball, but she didn't care.

This is Kayla practicing with her team before the game. They did simple drills like standing RIGHT in front of the goal and kicking the ball in. So now Kayla tells everyone that she scored 4 goals at soccer. See, she doesn't even know when she's practing and really playing the game.

In a few years maybe.

Finally

2008-09-20T22:14:00.003+02:00

Caden finally lost his first tooth last Saturday. Thus entering that awkward mismatched, snaggaly tooth stage.

Amazing how something so gross can be so exciting to him.

While thinking about this new stage of physical change Caden will be entering in I came to this conclusion. I have met very few 7-13 aged boys that I didn't find a bit annoying. For some reason it is just hard to not be hyper and obnoxious and a bit defiant. I have met a few cool kids at this age, but not many. So while I know I will always love Caden, I just really hope I still like him for the next few years. I'm guessing I will.

And for the record, I forgot to put something under his pillow until he came downstairs at 6:30 to tell me the tooth fairy hadn't come yet. I did feel bad, but was irritated that he woke me up so early on a Sunday morning. I immediately placed the blame away from me and said that she must be busy, or maybe she came and his eyes were open. I sent him back upstairs to go back to sleep with the promise that she will come soon if he closes his eyes. I waited a few minutes and snuck it under his pillow. No....he never went back to sleep.

Daydreaming

2008-09-14T21:46:00.006+02:00

Only 19 days until Brice and I get to go on our belated 10 year anniversary getaway.

We are going to Sicily all by ourselves. With no kids. No kids will be with us. Just adults. Kids will be staying home. I am so excited.

Hotel Villa Ducale

We picked the most non kid friendly place we could find....and a room with a view.

Caden

2008-09-12T10:41:00.003+02:00

Caden is a cool kid.

He loves sports. He officially starts soccer season tomorrow but plays it everyday at school during recess. He also loves to play basketball and will shoot hoops by himself at our park. He loves it when Brice takes him to the park because they can play together. If he's really lucky Brice will play tennis with him. Yeah, I can't play either and don't even pretend that I can. I will kick the soccer ball with him, play tether ball, and toss out the baseball. He really enjoyed watching the Olympics this year and followed the winners closely. His favorites were Michael Phelps and the US basketball team.

Caden has really taken to the first grade. He loves it!! He is in a great mood in the morning because he gets to go to school and comes home just as happy. I think his teacher must be magic.

Caden loves to read and write and draw. He has reading homework every night and is always anxious to do it. He just beams with pride as he reads. His teacher wrote a note that said she has finally met someone who loves books as much as she does. He also loves music. He is into the Jonas Brothers and the movie Camp Rock. He has his own CD player in his room and will go up there and play air guitar on the bed. Unfortunately the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and he has no singing ability or rhythm. But I tell him he is just like a rock star.

He has also started Boy Scouts this month. He seems to like it so far but is anxiously awaiting the camping, climbing and outdoorsy part of it all. We were a bit hesitant to enroll him because it is a big commitment. But we decided that we'll follow his lead and let him do it as long as he wants.

Caden finally has a loose tooth. He thought he would be the last kid ever to loose a tooth. It is on it's way out and is sure to bring him a lot of pride when he finally has that gaping hole in his mouth.

I finally bit the bullet and bought him lace up shoes for school this year. For some reason I just was dreading teaching him how to tie his shoes. Anticipating the frustration and time it would take. But my procrastinating paid off and he picked it up the first time. I think I wait until he's 25 to teach him to drive. Just to save myself the headaches.
Of course he loves to be silly and goof off.
The best thing about Caden right now is his love for Avery. He absolutely adores her. She is his pride and joy and he is the BEST big brother (to Avery....Kayla is a different story)

For Daddy

2008-09-12T10:25:00.002+02:00

Caden is the polar opposite of Kayla when it comes to performing. He is shy and reserved and had no interest at all in being on camera. He was willing to give me a few seconds to say hi to Brice who is traveling. You can totally tell he was a bit uncomfortable.

Kayla

2008-09-12T09:56:00.002+02:00

Kayla is going to been a rotten teenager. That is the only explanation Brice and I can come up with as to why she is just so sweet and good now. She really is the perfect child. She is always happy, even when she's sick. She loves to play with you, but is perfectly content to sit and entertain herself with a box of crayons. She loves to help me out, whatever I'm doing. She loves to cook in the kitchen, clean, help with Avery, do laundry and even likes doing dishes.

She is little Ms. Independent. She requires and certainly doesn't want any help in getting dressed, making her bed or even washing in the shower. She will let me fix her hair, but is happy to wet it back and stick a headband in it by herself if needed.

Kayla loves to cuddle and sit in your lap. She is a very affectionate child and says "I love you" or "you look pretty" all day long.

She is coming along well in school. She has 2 good friends in her class and enjoys going. She is starting a reading program at home with me and hasn't complained (yet).

Of course when describing Kayla I have to include a few of her songs. Really, she sings and dances all of the time. She is way better than anything on TV.

Here is another love ballad. A Kayla original. She had been singing songs from Camp Rock when I got the camera out. When I asked her to sing for me she wanted to perform one that she just had made up in her mind....obviously. The lyrics make no sense. She sings about petals falling, being enchanted, and some competition.

one more

2008-09-12T07:42:00.003+02:00

This song is a bit more rock and roll. She is asking a friend where she got her clothes from because Kayla wants some. The friend replies that she got them at the base, specifically on the shelf. She continues to sing about the dilemma of birthday parties on the sabbath. I have no idea where she comes up with this stuff.

I also want it noted that the furniture in our home is not ours. It was furnished for us and is quite the opposite of anything I would have chosen. The style is too formal and the color of the couches remind me of throw up. But it is free and we are grateful to have a place to sit and sleep.

Avery

2008-09-11T14:58:00.004+02:00

So I thought I would give a little update on what the kids are up to lately. Avery is first.

She has started walking and is getting pretty good. I don't think I have seen her crawl in a few days, so I think she will be upright from here on out. She still wobbles a bit so there are lots of falls if the ground is uneven (like outside) but she gets right back up and keeps going.

She is also talking all of the time. I don't understand any of it, but she's constantly making noise. Maybe she's speaking German. I wouldn't know. Some of her words that are in English are ma ma, da da, ah oh, ni ni (night night), no no, up, bye bye and flabbergasted.

She also loves to point and grunt but is known to reach and grunt on occasion. She is so curious about things around her that she can't explore them fast enough. She can completely destroy the house in a matter of minutes. She goes from room to room emptying out anything she can open.

She is also playing the awesome baby game of grab and drop. She forcefully grabs things out of my hands only to drop them. This is especially fun when walking up 3 flights of stairs.

Oddly she has a strange obsession with Luna Bars. She doesn't like to eat them, but likes to carry them around. One in each hand. They are in a cabinet that she can reach, so she will take a new one anytime she has misplaced one somewhere in the house. At the end of the day I usually find 5 or 6 that I have to put away. I just think they fit well in her hands and she likes the shiny, crinkly wrapper.

She can wave hi and bye, play "so big" and plays peek a boo with one hand.

All in all she is a very sweet and good baby. She hardly fusses and is just a happy child. She has more energy than any 1 year old I have ever met. I swear she has an invisible cord that keeps her plugged into the wall. She wears me out, but is sooooo worth it.

First Day of School

2008-08-26T09:44:00.003+02:00

Kayla had her first day of school yesterday. This is her second year of preschool and she loves it. Last year she only went 3 days a week but she will be going 5 days now. She only goes for 1/2 a day but I sure miss her.

This is Kayla stopping to pose for a picture on our way to school. Her school is here in our complex so it's a short 5 minute walk.
Showing off her new backpack.

Being "excited" in front of her school.

Putting on her indoor slippers for class.

Getting ready to do a puzzle while waiting for class to start.

She is such an amazing girl. She is smart and sweet and funny. Brice and I feel so blessed to have her. If we could bottle her up and sell it, the world would be a much better place. She is a little too grown up sometimes. This week she told me that she hates princesses and butterflies now. She only likes "Camp Rock" and The Jonas Brothers. (insert eye roll)

Happy Birthday Avery!

2008-08-23T12:29:00.002+02:00

So a year ago, I missed your birth since you didn't want to wait an extra 10 minutes for me to get to the hospital. I thought I'd get you back by taking a business trip on your 1 year birthday, thus missing your celebration. I think we're even now! Happy Birthday, cute girl.

Love,

Daddy