The happenings in Boise

Wow, I have a TON of things to catch up on. I can't believe I haven't had any time to sit down at the computer and blog. Okay, here goes the re-cap:

My family got together this past weekend-- over the 4th of July, for Meg's baptism. I am not sure the last time we were all together (with all the spouses and kids).

It was so fun to see everyone! I hate that we all live so far apart from each other, but I guess it makes it that much sweeter when we are together.

We arrived in Boise, Thursday night. Mom rode with us, and Julie, Jared, Katie and Cayden had arrived earlier that afternoon.

ahh-- the joys of sleeping kids

We checked into the hotel and headed down to the Moore's to see everyone. We visited for a while and then headed back to the hotel to sleep. Right as we turned out the lights, we heard Tay exclaim "I think I just lost my tooth" She was pretty excited about it and couldn't wait to show everyone the next day.

Friday afternoon, Brent and Ashley came and right behind them was Ryan, Marcela and Reyes.

Hail the gang was ALL there now, it was time to PARTY!

Since we were all finally together we had family pictures taken Saturday morning. Here's how some turned out. (just some snap shot)

My brothers, sisters and Mom

Aunt Ashley and Tay (thank you SO much Ash for doing her hair. Ash said she could do curly hair and it turned out so cute)

Grandma and all her 9 grandkids

Aunt Julie and Tay

All of my siblings

We laughed, played games, ate, and just had an awesome time just hanging out.

A crazy game of Golf

Grandma & Alyssa just chilin' The kids were all so good and had an absolute blast together (we hardly saw them).

Cute Uncle Jared goofing off..(a kid at heart for sure)

We even made it swimming at the hotel and had a blast.

Meg's baptism was at 4:00 Saturday afternoon. She was so darling. It was so much fun to see her get baptized and be with her on her special day. We love her.
Monday is when everyone started leaving. Sean left first. His flight out was at 6:10 a.m. Monday morning so Jen and I took him to the airport at 5.


Julie, Jared, Katie, Cayden and Mom all left around 1:30 that afternoon.

Ryan, Marcela, Reyes, Brent and Ashley didn't leave until Tues. afternoon.


It was hard to say goodbye to everyone. I always wish for more time. It just seems to go so quickly. I love my family so much. They are all such great people.


THANK YOU Jen, Steve and family for all the hard work you put into it. Everything was perfect. We loved EVERY minute of it.

Family Pictures

My awesome friend Maria just brought me the disk with our family pictures on it. Her and her cute sister-in-law are doing a photography business, Simply Bliss Photography and asked if they could take our family pictures for practice. (I think their website will be up and running soon).
LUCKY US HUH?!
We had so much fun, and both Maria and Des were amazing! Thank you so much you guys!

We LoVe them!!

(**note: poor Des had to edit out Tayler's huge cold sore on all the pictures. Thank heavens for photoshop. She did an amazing job. Thank you!!)


here are some sampling of our fun morning a few Saturday's ago:

Over the top Tuesday

Remember how Tuesday's are good days around here? Well, today was no exception.

Remember how I won that cute, cute apron.. well, today I received it, and can I just say it was better than expected and SO adorable.

The the tipsy girls totally spoiled me and took me out to lunch to celebrate and hand over the goods.

is that not stinkin' adorable??

It was so much fun. The group consisted of Marla, Tonia (2 darling ladies-- a.k.a the "over the top gals"), Des, Maria, and myself. What a blast. We met at Chili's with no kids. Loved it!
Since school is out, it was easy to find a babysitter for a few hours. I loved every minute of it.

Thank you again for everything! Another great Tuesday.

Afterwards we had some girls come over for a water party. They jumped on the tramp and played on the slip-n-slide(and danced to a little Hannah Montana). Oh yeah! We had a great day.

Tomorrow will be all work and no play to get ready for my week trip to Boise. Hooray. I can't wait to see everyone!

Date Night with Rylee

So last night, Rylee and I finally went on our 1st official date night together. (big applause please).
We ate at the Training Table, as a family, and then Rylee and I headed one way and Sean, Tay, and Jayson went the other.

We hit Davis Lanes and Rylee was SOOO excited. (I'm so sad that I didn't have my camera to take pictures). I think her favorite part of bowling are the shoes. They had a little pair in her size so she was beyond thrilled. They gave her a 6 pound fluorescent orange ball and off we went to our lane. I let her get her ball and roll it down the lane all by herself. She would dance around waiting for it to slowly make its way to the pins and then cheer and jump up and down. At one point a group of about 10 boys came in and cheered her on for 2 frames. She totally had her own cheering squad. It was cute.

Afterwards, we went to 7-11 to pick out a treat. She picked a bottle of water and a bag of Doritos.

Then we headed to Ross to pick out a toy and finish off the night. She was so concerned about getting something for Jayson and Tayler too, which I thought was so sweet. I haven't ever seen that side of her before. Tayler is always looking out for her and her interests, but last night all she could talk about was Tay and Jacer-Man (as she puts it) and wanting to buy them something as well.

I had such a fun time with her. Her eyes twinkled all night. It was fabulous! Thanks Rylee for being my date. I love you!

Funny

Yesterday after we came home from Lagoon I was looking at Tayler's shorts/capri's and thought to myself "when did I buy those for her?"
I soon realized they looked a lot like Rylee's so I had Tayler turn around and looked at the tag. Sure enough-- 3T. Are you kidding me? (They weren't even snug). Good to know that if push comes to shove she's got another wardrobe she can choose from.

Today we went swimming at the Aquatic Center! I selfishly decided that I needed some color on my pasty white skin in a bad way, and I thought the kids would be thrilled as well. They were! We had a good time until Jayson went head first out of his stroller. He has a pretty massive goose egg right smack dab in the middle of his forehead. (I really did think he was strapped in). He dropped his sippy cup and went down to get it. Poor baby!

Happy Friday to all of you. I think I will go mow the lawn now.
Loves!

The reward

I feel like I just ran a marathon. Nope. Just went to Lagoon in the 100 degree weather! (seriously, what was I thinking?) We had a blast though. I went with my good friend Kim and her 2 little kids.

So, Tayler has been earning money for a Mariposa (Barbie) dress for a while now. I pay her on Monday's when she helps with Jayson and I am working, and then earns money on other various chores as well. She was shy about $2 so her and her friend Kinsey did a lemonade stand yesterday. They made a killing in only about 45 minutes. Nice job guys!

Yesterday after things calmed down we counted her money, took out tithing to pay on Sunday, and guess what, she had enough for her long awaited dress. So, off we go to Walmart.

**side note: All this time Rylee has caught on and decided that she wants a Mariposa dress too. I told her that she had to earn at least half (which I thought would be impossible since she has been on a fit throwing rampage and most of her money was getting taken away), but she ended up having $9.15 after tithing. Thinking it still wouldn't be enough I told her we would have to wait and see exactly how much the dress was. **

Okay, so we arrive at Walmart. We are back in the toys and we spot the Mariposa dress. Oh no, I see that there is only one left. Yikes, Help, anyone? I even grabbed it right before this other couple was going for it. Sorry folks. I did what I had to do. They made some comment and threw their hands up, but again, too bad, I'm already dealing with just 1 dress and 2 little people. Can't you understand?

Back to the 1 dress issue. 2 girls + 1 dress = disaster. Great! I was a little panicked wondering how this little scenario would unfold, but then sweet Tayler says:

"it's okay mom, Rylee can have it. I am okay with that"

Could she possibly be any sweeter or a better big sister? No, this was her day that she had waited for and earned money. I still wasn't going to let that happen just because Rylee would throw another tantrum, (I was ready for it). As it turns out, Tayler spotted a Sleeping Beauty dress, which she also wanted. BIG SIGH. It all worked out & BONUS, the Mariposa dress was even on Clearance for $13 so Rylee was able to purchase it. Another BIG SIGH!

Each girl took their turn paying for their very own dress. It was so cute. I helped them both count out their money, and yes they had a lot of quarters, and yes the line was so long, but I didn't care, we took our time. I love those moments.

just home from the store with the big purchases

Rylee modeling

Tayler modeling
So happy together (yes, cue singing)

I love to teach them the value of truly earning things. It really has taken Tay quite a while and a lot of work. I am so proud of her. Love these two girls.

Happy Birthday

MEGHAN!!

We love you so much and

are so proud of you!

We can't wait to see you in just a

few days for your

special day!

You are such a special gal.

Hope you have a

fabulous day!

XXOXX

1st Date

It's the official first Daddy/daughter date and they are spending the evening here.
I hope they have a great time!!

Sean was so cute and brought ALL of his girls some flowers. What a sweet daddy he his. Sorry Jayson!

Rylee got a purply pink rose and Tay received a redish orange one. They were so beautiful.

These are my flowers. I LOVE gerber daisies.

Rylee and I are heading out tomorrow for our big night. Wish us luck! We are bowling. She is rather excited too.

I won.. HOORAY for me

I entered a drawing for the cutest apron here and I totally won. They have some way cute things and ideas.
I love give-A-ways, but love even more that I won.

Happy Friday!!

What do you do when it hits 96 degrees

You break out this little beauty.. suit up, and just say "have fun!!" They loved every minute.

e

Good things Tuesday

Who said you can't have a little of this before lunch?

**remember it's Tuesday, no rules apply today**

I told Tayler that we were running some errands (which we did for a while) and then we pulled in front of the ice cream store and I said "surprise, we are having ice cream for lunch!" Rylee jumped up and down, but Tayler sat there looking at me like I was crazy and wondered if I was just kidding.?!

I don't blame her. I assured her that it was not a trick and we went it-- just me and my 3 little ones. We laughed, and lots of ice cream was spilled, but I honestly didn't care! I love to hang out with them.

I am trying to turn "everydayness" into something fun. I hate when things feel too much the same and the BORED word comes into play-- so here's to mixin' it up a bit!

This Friday night Sean has declared as date night (not for the 2 of us though).

Tayler is going on a date with her daddy, and Rylee and I are going together! Does anyone want to go with Jayson? I think we are leaving him with a babysitter.

Sean even said he was going to bring Tayler a little flower. They are going to Lagoon to ride all the "big" rides together. Tay is soooo excited she can hardly stand it!
I'm not sure what mine and Rylee's plans are yet, but it will be awesome, whatever we decide to do!

Now go and eat some ice cream!

Father's Day

Although, it is not such an easy day for me, I still love it! I love to think about what an awesome dad I had and what an awesome dad my kids have. I really feel so blessed in those two aspects.

Sunday morning, Sean's mom and dad came up and we had a big breakfast (more like a brunch I guess) at 10:30 and then they went to Sacrament with us. The girls were so stinkin' cute singing up on the stand. We had practiced "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home" so they both did fabulous. I wasn't sure what the other song was, but 1 out of 2 isn't bad. Rylee blew the biggest kiss afterwards. I'm sad that Sean missed it since he was behind the 100's of kids, but it made me smile so big.

After Church, the girls helped me make a picnic lunch. When Sean came home we loaded up and went to Farmington Pond. It was so nice to just relax under the big shade trees and chill with my little family. I loved every minute of it. It was a great end to a great weekend.

Thanks Sean for being such a wonderful father. I feel so blessed that our 3 kids have such a great example to call Dad. You truly are fabulous in every way. You are such a hard worker but still have enough energy to play with us when you get home. Thank you for all that you do! We sure love you.

Very Grateful

Wow.. its already been over a week. Where in the world have I been?

so the last time I posted I had just cleaned my house right? Well that night we knew that the Young Men/Young Women were doing something for the Bishopric & their spouses, but we had no idea what. They told us to come over to the church at 6:45 and that there would be babysitters for our children, but surprise, we heard a knock on the door at 6:30 and it was them. They had a babysitter to stay with our kids, and took us out for a date. Oh wait-- it gets better. While we were gone, they took our kids over to the church for ice cream and games (so they had a blast too), while the YM cleaned, oh yes, CLEANED our houses!

Dang it! Why did I clean that day. They mopped and vacuumed, and folded some laundry. Can you believe that? It was beyond nice and so appreciated. What great young people we have in our ward.

**They also put together a cute basket together with lotion, candy, and a cute card for all the wives. It was an awesome night-- to say the least**

Then last night my cutest friend, Maria and I got to go to see MAID OF HONOR. Just the two of us. It was so awesome. She is the kind of friend that you can just be yourself with. We get along so great and I love just being around her. She is the kind of friend that makes me want to be better and try harder. I think we are so much alike too. It was a much needed time away. Thanks so much Maria for everything. You rock!

It must be a TUESDAY thing. Good things happen on Tuesday's for me. I think that is my new favorite day of the week.

Yesterday during the day we went to the cemetery (since my mom and I never made it on Memorial Day). My sister, Julie, and Jared,Katie and Cayden have been in town so it was fun to be with them too.

My kids and I went out Saturday morning to see them and didn't come home until Sunday night. I love spending time with my family. The purpose was to get some projects done around the house that my mom needed help with. We did a little of that, but mostly goofed off. Sorry mom, I guess that's what happens when we get together :))

Here is one of the projects. We ripped down all of the wallpaper and painted it green. I'm not sure why I didn't take a "finished" picture. Uncle Jared drew goofy on the wall for the kids. They loved it.

Here are some other pictures from our week.

I LOVE this picture of Rylee and Jared. I looked out the window and this is what I saw. She loves him.

All of the gang at the cemetery

Jayson and Cayden kickin' it

Jayson and Aunt Katie

Out at my moms-- Jayson and Cayden-- our little pianist. They both loved it.

Sean took all the kids out for a bike ride. Jayson and Rylee in tow and Tay on her bike.

<3 <3 <3 Happy Anniversary today to Jen and Steve and My mom and Dad. <3 <3 <3

AHHHH...

..a clean house
...all the laundry done
.....all the ironing done
........dinner ready! CHECK!

Little Jayson took an almost 4 hour nap this afternoon. Thank you little munchkin. While he was asleep the girls and I played some games, laughed, and swung on the swing set.

When they hit the sack I still got over an hour of mommy time to do my chores and feel oh so good before the youngest arose.

I love these kind of days.

This last weekend we headed to Lagoon Saturday evening (when it wasn't so dang hot) and had a good time until Tay hit her head on the seat on Colossus. Poor thing. She was then in line to help Rylee on Puff, but couldn't fight back the tears, so I took Rylee and then we headed home. Darn seat!

We did see Deron Williams though. That was awesome!

Hope everyone is having a great week thus far.