Life with...

Mr Pottyman

2011-06-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

So Van is finally potty trained. This picture marks the first day he was free from diapers and in big boy underpants. Doesn't he look so proud? He is such a funny little dude.
He actually had a hard time deciding if he wanted to wear big boy underpants. I think he really wanted to hold on to the fact that he was and still is our baby. Many times when Boston or Avery would start whining and I would say "You're being a baby", Van would jump in the conversation and say "NO! I'm the baby". I could see the wheels turning in his little brain when I let him know that just because he was going to wear big boy underwear didn't mean that he wouldn't be our baby. He will always be our baby. He really and truly loves being the baby. I think it's sweet. One more reason that he is my last. I love you my little Vanner!

Memorial Weekend

2011-06-21T13:33:00.000-07:00

This memorial day we decided to stay up at my parents condo in Merritt Island. Unfortunately for us when we got to the beach, there were jellyfish EVERYWHERE, and not just a few hundred- thousands and thousands. I didn't dare get in the water. I have never seen the beach looked like that, EVER! It was disappointing and really cool all at the same time.

So instead of the beach we decided to go to the local aquatic center and had a great time. They have a diving board and a really fun slide that the kids loved. They also had a huge splash park. Lucky for us, Ryan and Tori have an awesome underwater camera so for hours we had fun just taking pictures.

Owen and Van had fun swimming together.

I'm so glad they live so close to us! They a great little buddies!

Boston Jack Attack

love the clouds above Ty in this pic

Avery and Kaelie weren't into tanning (thankfully) instead they decided to stay under their towels and play with their electronic gadgets and not get burnt. Miles is my youngest nephew. He is such a little sweetie and so happy all the time!

my two favorite pictures of van. I love his hair in the underwater one and I love that his swim suit was barely holding on. He was obsessed with shooting his water gun.

Avery and Kaelie. Gotta love Avery's face.

Aves and I

Kevin is always making faces and is probably about ready to kill me for posting this

Love this of Boston jumping off the diving board

Ry Ry

So at the end of the day I think I preferred the aquatic center over the beach anyways. It was a great memorial day weekend and lots of fun spending time with family.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-20T22:48:00.002-07:00

So lately every time Boston gets in trouble he says "You are the MEANEST Dad/Mom in the WORLD!!!" Kevin thought it would be so funny to get a shirt that said that on it, and what perfect day to give it to him? Father's day! We made him a shirt and this is what it looked like. I put the saying on the front and the kids faces on the back. Kevin is quite the joker so yes this wasn't something he felt bad about (he actually thought of it). He loved it and we love him. Happy Fathers Day to one of the most incredible guys I know! You amaze me! Love ya Kev!

They also made this with no help at all. I think it turned out perfect!

Hey "Mr Goodbar"
This is from us "Junior Mints"
You are one "Hot tamale"
You are "extra" funny
You are very "Special" to us
Happy "watchamacallit" day
Love your "3 musketeers"

A fresh approach

2011-05-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

This spring I decided I wanted to be apart of a local garden CSA. What is a CSA? It stands for Community Supported Agriculture. This concept, along with “slow food” was started to put the people and their food in close proximity…. not 2,000-6,000 miles from each other. The way it works is that the shareholders (what I was) and the farmer get together before the season begins and decide on what will be grown in the garden. Then we went to work! I along with 10 others, received a basket of produce every week once the harvesting began. It was an amazing opportunity to be a part of. So in February-May, every Saturday from 7-10am I was at the garden planting, weeding and harvesting our fruits and veggies for the week. They also had fresh eggs from their chickens I could purchase along with fresh baked bread. What a treat it was every week to get such fresh items for my family to munch on. I loved learning about Organic gardening and now feel I have the knowledge to try and start a few things on my own in my own yard. What a blessing it was to have fresh veggies in the home that I grew. I was amazed every week to see what had grown from the week before. Plants are truly amazing! I learned about so many varieties of lettuce and vegetables I had never tried. It was wonderful! Here are a few pictures of the vegetables we grew.

Afer we had harvested the plants, they were washed and thrown into these buckets.
Aren't the beautiful!?

After washing and putting into buckets we made each shareholders basket so we could all have the same amount of veggies and fruits.
I truly felt like it was a work of art putting the baskets together.

T-ball....I mean Baseball

2011-04-20T21:51:00.000-07:00

This season I had a problem. Every time we would head to the baseball field I would say "okay, lets go to t-ball". Boston would get so frustrated because this year (and even last year) he has been playing baseball (coach pitch), not t-ball. Anyways, we had such a great season this year. We met so many awesome families that were on our team and had some great coaches (Thanks coaches Phyllis, Charlie, Laz and Sherwin)!
Boston is one determined little guy and always works really hard when he is on the field. He always wants to be the best. He always wants to be the kid that hit the ball the hardest. the boy who ran the fastest. Everything is a competition for our little guy. He is so funny that way. Way to go Boston! You are awesome!

Soccer

2011-04-20T21:47:00.000-07:00

This spring Avery wanted to play soccer. She took a year off and then decided she wanted to do it again. It was fun to watch her this season. She was so much more aggressive and had a passion for the sport. Her coach, Coach Bev was amazing and I think she made all the difference.
Way to go Avery!

Willy Wonka

2011-03-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

Each year at Avery's elementary school they have auditions for the school play for the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Avery was so excited to try out. I was a little nervous because over 100 children try out for the play and they only keep 25-30 kids. We worked really hard on her audition song and I knew she would do her best, but would her best be good enough? They don't keep many 3rd graders so I wasn't sure how it would go. Luckily, she made it! She was in the chorus and we were ecstatic! I had so much fun helping with the play and loved that she could be apart of it. The kids were amazing and Ms Jacobacci was a fabulous director. I was amazed at what a talented bunch of kids there were. They blew me away! Way to go Avery! You were awesome!

Eac

Utah and Vegas

2011-03-15T22:57:00.000-07:00

This year I flew in to Utah to see my sister Jen star in "Romeo and Juliet" as no other than "Juliet". For those of you who have seen Jen dance know what a treat it is to watch her dance. She has always amazed me as a performer and I loved watching her on stage. Jen is just one of those dancers that catches your eye. There's just something about her. She's got the "it" factor. The night after her performance we stayed up in SLC and I think I kept her up a little too long but it was so much fun to just laugh and chat into the wee hour of the night. We don't get very many of those these days so it was fun to be able to do it again. I love you Jenny Boo!

I also had the opportunity to go skiing with Kevin's brother, Shane and my nephew Josh. We had a great time. We almost got to ski free. You see, I went to the gas station to buy discount passes and they handed me these passes that go around your neck. I was a little confused and asked the gas station workers how I was supposed to use them. They told me to just take them to the resort. When we got there the owner of the gas station had called the resort upset and said that one of his workers had given me the wrong passes. I was actually given some kind of business season pass. Technically we could have skied free because the passes were fully transferable and they were GIVEN to me, I didn't steal them. If I were mean, I probably could have kept them and there would be nothing they could do about it, but I thought I would stay nice and honest :) I was just happy to be skiing at Sundance and to get a discount was an added bonus. They charged us $20 instead of $40. We had a blast. I love skiing and it was so fun to watch Joshy ski. He's grown up so much and because we aren't in Utah very much it was fun to spend a day with him and Shane.

After Utah I flew to Vegas to meet Kevin. Thanks to Shane, we went to watch BYU in the tournament they were playing in and saw one of the greatest games ever. It was amazing to watch Jimmer exploded for a career-high 52 points — shattering the career school scoring record (surpassing legend Danny Ainge ), and the school single-game scoring record in the same game — to lead the No. 8 Cougars to an emotional 87-76 triumph over their nemesis, New Mexico, in the semifinals of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. To see it happen live was unbelievable!
We lived it up in Vegas thanks to Shane. I saw a side of Vegas I have never seen before, but that's a whole other post :)
We were also able to go to lunch with some of our best friends who live in Vegas- Tyler and Kacee Allred.

Anne Frank and I

2011-01-21T22:21:00.000-08:00

This year Avery and I had the opportunity to see the play "Anne Frank and I". I was a little hesitant taking Avery at age 8 but she had recently read the book "Number the Stars" and knew a lot about the Holocaust. I didn't know when the play would return to Orlando so I decided to go for it. The play was amazing but the part that hit me most was meeting a Holocaust survivor after the play. She told us her story and I will NEVER forget it. She was an amazing person and what she lived through I can only imagine. Avery wanted to get a picture with her. There aren't too many Holocaust survivors anymore and this was a rare opportunity. The little boy clinging to her is her grandson. She pulled me close and said "This is why I wanted to live" and looked down at him. I think we all live and breathe for our families. I am so thankful to live in a place and time where I have the freedom to be with my family and live in the moment. She definitely made me want to cherish every waking moment I have with my family. She was such an amazing lady, so full of life. This was a day I will never forget and I am so thankful that I had this experience with Avery.

Mt Dora Art Festival

2011-01-20T22:48:00.000-08:00

Who doesn't love a little art festival in their lives? We decided to go to the Mount Dora Art Festival this year. It's one of the biggest art festivals in Florida and we wanted to be pART (get it, yes I'm a dork) of it. What a treat! The kids enjoyed free face painting and ice cream at the local ice cream shop. We had our first fried Oreo- it was actually quite tasty. Kevin and I got free back massages (I was a little hesitant, but so glad I decided to do it!) The art was incredible to look at and the local musician we listened to was fantastic. We bought a c.d. and I still haven't stopped listening to it. He had 3 albums and I wish I bought all 3 but only ended up with one.The kids loved painting on a huge mural they set up in the park. They cried and whined when we made them stop. It was such a treat! We'll be back next year :)

Utah...Actually Wyoming

2010-12-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

So I guess, come to think of it, we were actually in Wyoming for Christmas day. We were Lucky enough to stay with Kevin's Uncle Bob and Aunt Jill with the whole Morris family. They own a beautiful cabin and we were so lucky to spend some time with them up there. they are such great people and I really enjoyed there company. I was a little afraid that because they don't have children of their own, they would be a little stressed with all of our crazy kids there, but they were so easy going and we all had such a great time. We played all kinds of games, thanks to Pat, watched movies, went sledding and just talked. It was great.

I think sledding down the big hill/driveway was the big hit with the kids. Boy was it a huge hill! It was awesome! We had to have someone come and drive everyone up it each time we went down. And believe me, if it was walkable I would have made my kids walk it!

Wyatt wanted nothing to do with pictures, he was all about the sledding and didn't want to take the time to look, let alone smile for the camera. Boys will be boys... and Moms will be moms.
Aren't moms known for trying to squeeze in any picture she can get, promising that it will be the last one even though there are fifty waiting ahead in the near future, am I right!?

just a little girl talk

Bob and Jill have the best dog ever, Rudy. I don't know how much longer he'll be around, but he melts my heart. Van fell in love. I love the way he is hugging him in this picture.
He was there for about 10 minutes just hugging him and Rudy didn't mind. So sweet!

Luckily for us, this habit was short lived. Gotta live digging in your diaper. Luckily this one was a clean one. I'm just grateful it wasn't an ongoing thing, just a thirty minute thing...boys!

I'm dreaming of a White Chirstmas

2010-12-26T19:06:00.000-08:00

So we were luck enough to go to Utah for Christmas this year.
We had such a great time with family and friends.
I love Utah in the winter!

Sundance, Utah

Sundance is where I feel at home. Now that I don't live in Utah anymore, along with most of my family, the place I feel most at home is at Sundance. I get giddy driving up the and taking in the beauty that surrounds Provo Canyon. I think I took it for granted as a kid but now I so appreciate it and long for it each winter. Sundance is the place I learned to ski and spent so many Saturdays with friends. No matter how cold it was, we wanted to be on the mountain. Even if the resort closed because of weather we found ourselves spending all day up there building ice caves. It's the place I loved to hike and occasionally mountain bike. Sundance is the place my family and I would have celebrations. It's the place we had our Thanksgiving dinner almost every year as well as Christmas Eve. It's the place I went on my first date, it's the place I was engaged to my amazing husband. It's the place that even when I was there alone, I was happy.
It may be a small resort but to me it's perfect.

Kevin and I slipped away for breakfast one morning and went for breakfast. Amazing scenery and warmth every time I'm there. It really is such a wonderful place.

Best breakfast on earth! Sundance Grill Room's oatmeal...
my mouth is watering

Fun at the Morris house with sister-in-laws! I love them!

London and Van, hanging out on the floor. It was so fun to watch them play this time around. Last time they were together, they were too little to have some fun. I love this age.

Unfortunately we went to "This is the Place! Heritage park" on the only day it was closed.
That didn't stop me from taking some pictures,
but I was really looking forward to going to the park.
Next time when we are in Utah, it will be a must.

Sledding with Jen Jen

2010-12-23T21:29:00.000-08:00

Jen will always be known for being the fun sister, fun aunt and fun friend. She just is. Everyone that knows her well, knows she can't sit still and just do nothing for very long. I don't know if she knows how to do that? She is always coming up with fun and creative things to do. She finds joy in the small things and I love that about her. She makes the people around her smile. My kids love to play with Aunt Jen. We had a great time sledding with her. though we didn't have much time together, we did have a great time. I wish she lived closer.
She is such a fun person to be around.

Family Pictures Fall 2010

2010-12-08T18:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, I almos gave up on blogging. But I will say I have missed it, so hopefully I can be better and be more up to date! These are pictures taken by one of my favorite people, the talented Stephanie Womack!

Football

2010-11-08T09:18:00.000-08:00

This fall Boston had the opportunity to play flag football with the Lake Nona Lions. He absolutely loved it. This football season I recognized what a hard working, determined little guy he was. He definitely has a passion for the sport. Thankfully I have an awesome friend, Stephanie, who took some great photos. I think I was too distracted watching him play that I never wanted to pick up the camera, I just wanted to watch the game. Sometimes a camera can ruin your "in the moment" experience and luckily I have Stephanie to thank so I didn't have to regret that later.

Cheer

2010-11-08T07:06:00.000-08:00

This fall Avery had the opportunity to Cheer for the Lake Nona Lions. She had a great time and met some great friends! It was fun to watch her cheer, she did a fantastic job and loved performing their routine for competition. What a great first season to be part of. Go Lions!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Lucky for me I have an awesome friend who takes fantastic pictures. I can't thank Stephanie enough for these wonderful photos!

I really really want one of these!

2010-10-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Right now, Madsen Bikes is having a contest to win one of these babies on their website.
I want to be their winner! You should enter too!

Green Meadows petting farm with Owen and Van

2010-10-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

Van, Owen and I went to Green Meadows petting farm. We had all kinds of fun. They were so cute together and got along really well.

Van loved petting and getting up close to the animals. I think his favorite animal was the chickens. He had lots of fun milking the cow and riding the horse.

Owen liked to watch from afar. He wasn't about to get on the horse. Instead he was content watching Van get on. I think his favorite part was the train and the Playground.

Owen and Van really do have lots of fun together. We are so grateful to have cousins so close by!

Heaven on Earth

2010-09-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica- unbelievable. Every year Kevin and I take a trip, just the two of us. For our 10 year anniversary we went to Costa Rica and we absolutely loved it. This year we thought we were going to do something different but we kept wanting to go back to Costa Rica. I am in love with Rancho Pacifico. Thats where we stayed both times. The staff is amazing, the views are amazing, the food is amazing. I would highly recommend this vacation to anyone (adults, that is) wanting to get a way and do anything from horseback riding to surfing to hanging out at the pool or getting a massage and reading a good book. Our plan everyday was simple. Breakfast was included and amazing! The hot chocolate is to die for and I can't even begin to describe the taste of the fresh jams, jellies and syrups they had for muffins and french toast. The breakfast wraps were out of this world- my mouth is watering! After breakfast we would go down the mountain and do something really active and fun (hiking, surfing, horseback riding), eat where the locals eat, then go back to Rancho Pacifico, get showered, get a massage, get dressed up and go to dinner in the dining room. They have the most amazing food ever (Did I mention that?)!

Lake Nona Lions

2010-09-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Last winter the kids decided they wanted to be Lake Nona Jr Lions. Avery would be a cheerleader, and Boston would be playing flag football. The kids have put a lot of hard work into their sport. They practice on Tuesday and Thursday and have games on Saturdays. It's a big commitment but they both are having lots of fun. Go Lions!

One of my greatest friends in Orlando is starting her photography business and is having a photo contest on Facebook. I took these pictures with Van in an old lion costume from a few years back. I think he's a pretty cute mascot, don't you? We were supposed to come up with a picture for the most spirited Lake Nona Lions. You can vote for our picture on Facebook here!

first day of school

2010-09-12T07:20:00.002-07:00

Avery and Boston's first day of school

Boston started Kindergarten this year! I still can't believe he's old enough to go to school full time! He was excited to wear school uniforms like his sister. Both of my kids got great teachers this year. I was so happy to have Avery at the same school with Boston because after the first day of school they won't let you walk your kids to their class. I was so heartbroken with Avery in fear that she would get lost. This year was different because A. I was prepared for it, and B. Boston had his big sis to help him to his classroom. Even though my kids fight at times, they always stick up for each other and care about one another. It's going to be a great year!

Van's first day of school

This year Van started school in Celebration, at the Presbyterian Church. They have such an amazing program there and I just love all of the teachers. It is 25 minutes away from my home but well worth the drive- plus Van gets to play with Grandma after school on Wednesdays and he loves it (thanks Mom- you're the best)! The first day as we pulled into the parking lot Van was already saying "Bye Mom! Bye Mommy! Bye Mom!" I was completely caught off guard by this. Wasn't he going to miss me just a little bit? Luckily when I came to pick him up he was excited to see me and ran and gave me a huge hug. He is such a little sweetie. I can't believe how fast this time goes.

Kaelie

2010-09-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Kaelie is my youngest sister. We are 20 years apart and only lived in the same house for five months, when I married Kevin. She is one of the sweetest, kindest kids I know. She is so easy going and cares about everyone around her. I don't think she has a mean bone in her body.
My kids adore her and I absolutely love her.

Park with Steph

2010-09-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

South Carolina/ Hilton Head

2010-08-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

This summer I decided to pack up with my mom and take the kids to see my Grandma Lee In South Carolina. I'm really glad I went on the trip. it was so great to see my Grandma Lee and the kids had a great time.

I love my grandmas sun glasses- aren't they adorable? And it just so happened that we went to Wendy's and the kids got these glasses with their kids meal. This is a picture I will Cherish forever!

we went shopping and the kids couldn't stop dressing up- I don't know how much the store clerks liked it, but the kids had a ball.

I bought these swim caps for the kids and they loved them!

After we were done visiting my Grandma, I took my mom to the airport and I headed to Hilton head with the kids. We had so much fun. I highly recommend it! The beach was beautiful and the kids loved swinging on the hammocks and swimming in the pool. We did wish Kevin was there but still had a great time. Who knew I could handle 3 kids by myself with a 8 hour drive ahead of me? The kids did great and now I have more adventures planned for next summer :)

The 4th

2010-07-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

We had such a great breakfast for the fourth over at my Brother Ryan and his wife Tori's house- sadly I didn't take any pictures...grrrrrrrrrr, I have been doing that a lot lately. We had crepes that were absolutely unbelievable! yum! Thanks for inviting the whole clan over!

After we headed back to Orlando for church and then went to Celebration for a BBQ and some fire works. These pictures are from the BBQ. So glad that Jen and Lance are up for the holiday :)

turning 8

2010-06-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Avery is 8. It seems like just yesterday I was holding her in my arms, just staring at my newborn babe in awe...and now she just finished 2nd grade!
Avery is my big thinker. She has more questions in her little mind than I ever thought possible. She has a passion for reading and loves to learn. Yes, she does fight with her brothers, but for the most part, they have lots of fun together. She is such a blessing in our lives! I am so proud to be her mom! I love you Aves!

This year was an exciting birthday for her because her birthday fell on the second Saturday of the month which meant she could choose to be baptized on her birthday. She was so excited and we had a wonderful day.

Mr Bean

2010-06-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

This kid would eat beans and rice for every meal if I let him. :)

Our VPK Grad!

2010-06-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Boston Graduated from VPK (pre-school) June 9, 2010. He has learned so much this year and had some great little buddies in his class. I can't believe he will be in Kindergarten this next year!

Romeo + Juliet

2010-05-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

I went to Utah this spring to see my sister perform as Juliet in Odyssey's production of "Romeo and Juliet". What a treat! It was one of the most amazing shows I have ever watched. Jen has always amazed me. She has been such a huge example to me in my life. Sometimes I wonder why I was so lucky to have her as a sister. It was amazing to see her talented little soul on stage dancing her heart away. It was also so amazing to meet all the Dancers. They are such a beautiful group of people. Jen- I am truly amazed by you. Thanks for being such a great sister

You have to watch this! It doesn't do the show justice. Seeing it live is the best way to see it, but at least you can have a little taste of what it was like.

Cousins

2010-05-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

It is so much fun to finally see these two kids play. For so long, Van seemed so much younger than Owen (they are 7 months apart) but now they are finally both able to hang out and have fun together. I love watching them play. Thanks for taking these pictures Tori! I just love them!

Van turns 2

2010-05-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

Wow! I'm amazed that my baby boy is 2...2! Van is such a sweet little guy. He adores his brother and sister, but most of all, his Daddy. He loves to read books and play tag. He loves to act like a puppy, and sing and dance. He loves to be outside and take baths. He will pretend like he's hurt if he's not the center of attention. I love his little smile. Today he saw me give Kevin a kiss and I looked down at him and he had his lips puckered up all ready for me to give him a kiss. I love this age. Some may call it the terrible twos but I can say it has always been one of my favorite ages. Happy Birhtday Vanny! I love you!

Coaches Pitch

2010-04-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

Boston has always loved baseball. This season we moved from t-ball to coaches pitch. I didn't know how this would work out and was a little nervous, but found out early that I didn't have to be. The first game of the season all the kids on our team hit the ball and no one had to use the tee! I was amazed at all these little boys (and girls) who could hit the ball so well. Boston had a great time playing and had so much fun playing with his little buddy Evan.

Soccer Girl!

2010-04-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

This year Avery decided she wanted to play soccer. I as a little hesitant at first because when she was 3 and 4, her favorite thing to do was sit at the side lines and have a water break. We ended up signing her up anyways. Avery's team didn't have a coach, so I was able to convince Kevin to be the Coach. Lucky him, right? Our first game Avery got scared and was hesitant to play. I didn't know what the season was going to have in store, but luckily she decided she wanted to play and she was more aggressive every game.We had a great bunch of kids on the team and Avery got better and better every game. I was proud of her for being determined and not giving up. I was also proud of my awesome husband for coaching. We had a great season.

FOX IN SOCKS

2010-03-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

For field day this year, Avery's school chose Dr Suess to be the theme. Her teacher and I decided that we would do Fox in Socks and have all the kids where crazy socks. We also had them pick their favorite tongue twister form the book Fox in Socks and have them draw a picture of it, so we could put it on the back of their shirts. They turned out so cute and the kids had a blast!

Tug of War!

Boston Jack turns 5

2010-02-24T18:52:00.000-08:00

I can not believe my little guy is 5! What an amazing 5 years it has been. One thing I love about Boston is his willingness to always give me a helping hand. No matter how rambunctious this little guy can be, he will stop everything to give a helping hand. He is my little cuddle bug. He is my competitive little guy. He loves to play games and loves to play with his brother and sister. If I would let him, he would have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He can be as stubborn as a mule sometimes. He actually reminds me a lot of myself and sometimes that scares me :) I love my Boston Jack. He has taught me so much and I am so lucky to have him be apart of our little family.

the park

2010-01-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

While Avery goes to Piano, Boston, Van and I go to the park. These are some of my favorite shots I took one day.

Let it Snow!

2010-01-23T17:49:00.000-08:00

This was one of those trips that you loved and hated all at the same time. We decided to bring our friends with us to Utah. They are such an amazing family and hadn't ever seen snow before. We thought it would be awesome to take them to Bear Lake where Kevin's parents have a cabin. That way we would have fun skiing at Beaver Mountain and we could have fun on the snow mobiles, sledding down the hill and playing games at the cabin. Little did we know that we would have something go wrong EVERYDAY we were there. We managed to get the Ford Expedition stuck in the snow not just once, but 3 times! We had both vehicles slide down an icy hill and into each other, the breaks go out in the Yukon so we had to go to a car repair shop instead of ski for a day. When we were going home there was so much snow coming down on the roads you could barely see what was in front of you. I'm thinking our friends our very grateful that they don't have to live where there is snow from the experience we gave them.

What's funny, is even though so many things went wrong we still had a lot of fun because of who we were with. The Lieberman's are an awesome family- I just think our next vacation with them will be on the beach and not in the snowy mountains :) If only they knew what a perfect winter day was like. It's what I miss most about Utah. sigh.

2009-12-18T11:35:00.000-08:00

Brecks Cookies with Santa!

2009-12-15T20:20:00.000-08:00

Join us for Cookies and Milk or Hot Chocolate, Pictures with Santa, and Story Time with Mrs. Claus, now through December 23, every 30 minutes from 7-8:30.
24 Broadway, Kissimmee, FL 34741

Some of our great friends own one of the best cookie stores I have ever been to- BRECKS COOKIES! You have got to try there cookies- they are to die for! This Christmas season they are having Cookies and milk with Santa and Story time with Mrs Clause- it will be AWESOME! Hope to see you there!

Join us for Cookies and Milk or Hot Chocolate, Pictures with Santa, and Story Time with Mrs. Claus, now through December 23, every 30 minutes from 7-8:30.
24 Broadway, Kissimmee, FL 34741

Are you ready for some football!?

2009-11-15T19:02:00.000-08:00

This fall Boston decided he wanted to play flag football. At age four I didn't know if this was a good idea or not. I was skeptical about how the season would go... Would he get hurt? Would it be a waste of time and money? Would he learn anything? Would he cry the whole time? So many questions. But, I will say I was pretty impressed by what he learned from the beginning of the season to the end. He really got into it and had some great runs and touchdowns and some good defense plays. No crying whatsoever- just happy smiles, determination (written all over his face), and really wanting to play and do well in his games. This video clip is my favorite touchdown he had. We had such a great time watching him play and I'm glad we decided to go for it this season. Way to go Boston!

Trick or Treat

2009-11-15T18:47:00.001-08:00

For the last couple of years I have given into letting my children pick what they want to be for Halloween instead of doing a family theme. For the record, I have to say I LOVE FAMILY THEMES! But... Avery would have been heart broken if I wouldn't have let her be Hermione and Boston has had his heart set on being Batman since last spring, so yes, I gave in. Van was a pirate. No theme, Random costumes, but hey, they had fun and that's what it's all about, right?

Costa Rica

2009-11-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

If you have never been on a trip with out your children, I highly recommend it. I have always been a mom who has been terribly worried about leaving her children home while vacationing but this year for our 10 year anniversary I decided it was time to overcome my fears. I figured witht he new technologies of today I would be OK. Skype is a moms best friend when she is worried and far far away. And it's free!

Lucky for us Kevin's mom flew in from Utah to be with the kids (Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!) We also had many friends and family help us out with car pools and games. Thank you Dolly, Nevine, Stephanie and Mom and Dad for all your help too!

Anyways- Costa Rica was awesome- I just wished I would have taken more pictures. We stayed at Rancho Pacifico which was absolutely amazing. All of the people who worked there were amazing. I enjoyed getting to know all of them. Our routine for the week was amazing first we would wake up to the sound of monkeys, have breakfast, go off and do something adventurous. Then we would get back to our place, get rinsed off, get a massage, get ready, talk to our kids via SKYPE and then have dinner... Every Single Day!- it was absolutely amazing. Many times we would just look at each other and laugh because this is NOT our typical schedule.

This was our little place we stayed in. All the walls are just screens so you have a panoramic view of everything all the way to the ocean.

Lucky for us Kevin's sister Michelle and her boyfriend Mark are currently on a spanish speaking adventure. (They wanted to learn the Spanish Language and decided to put their stuff in storage and have been traveling central and South America for the last 7 months!) I think it's fantastic!

The week before we went to Costa Rica they realized they were only 3 hours away from us and took the bus to come and visit. It was awesome! We took surf lessons together, zip-lined and did a couple of waterfall hikes. We loved hanging out with them and it was so fun to see them and experience such a cool place with them. Thanks you guys- you honeslty made our trip so much fun. We miss you guys! Come and see us soon!

Pat did such a great job with our little ones while we were gone. They did all kinds of crafts, they made all kind of goodies and Avery even sewed her very first quilt! Thanks Pat!

Labor Day weekend

2009-11-02T08:30:00.000-08:00

We had a great time with Kevin's parents in Dallas over Labor Day weekend.

First we toured the Dallas Cowboys stadiun (Where BYU would be playing the next Day)

***

The next day we went to Six Flags- What a great park!

Shortly after Sea World Tim, Kevin and I headed to the BYU game while Pat (thanks again, PAt!) babysat and took the little ones to IHOP!

Lucky for us Tim pulled some strings and got us great seats. it was an amazing game and the stadium was unbelievable!

The next day we celebrated Kev's Birthday at Ed and Noni's. house and visited their Chicken farm. Happy 33rd Kev!

First Day of School

2009-10-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

Avery and Boston were excited for school to start this year.

Avery has to wear uniforms at her school, which I happen to love- It makes getting ready in the morning so much easier.

Avery was lucky enough to know some of the kids on her class. Second grade...I can't believe it's here already.

Boston was very excited for school. He immediately drug his friend Kevin over to the dress ups and put the spiderman cape on. I can't believe how big he is getting.

Blog Slacker

2009-09-03T00:44:00.000-07:00

The following posts are dedicated to Michelle,
who's patience is probably non-existent right now.

I still have so much to catch up on, but at least it's something, right?

Beach Bums

2009-09-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

We made it to the beach a couple of times. My kids love it... can't get enough of it. I was amazed at how much Van still loved to eat crackers even with sand all over them. Everytime I would try to take them away he would scream, so I let him have it. A little sand won't hurt him, right?

Snip Snip

2009-08-21T23:20:00.000-07:00

Van got a little haircut- his first one!
He actually did such a great job sitting still on the chair.

He may have not really needed one but we decided
to give him a little trim just to even things up a bit.

Avery Summer 09

2009-08-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

I took a photography class this summer and tried to learn a few things, so when I had assignments to do, my kids naturally were able to help me out.

Avery has been obsessed with reading since before Kindergarten. If we are in the car or at home she usually has a book in her hands. This summer she has been obsessed with Harry Potter and is on the third book, so I decided to take a picture of what she loves best,
she's my little book worm.

And yes, this girl will need braces at some point in her life.

(That's the old orthodontist assistant in me talking.)

Boston Summer 09

2009-08-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

I will say Boston loves to help... a little too much but that's Boston for you. If I ask Avery to go get something (baby wipes for instance) Boston is sprinting up ahead of her trying to grab the wipes before she does just so he can help. He is a sweetheart with a temper. If he's not the one helping he gets upset. He's a crack up. I love his sweet spirit. He can truly melt my heart and tear it apart in the same minute. BUt Ihave to say I love the kid...good times and not so good times... I just love him.

this is what time-out looks like

Van Summer 09

2009-08-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

beyond exhaustion

2009-06-12T23:46:00.000-07:00

While I was in New York with some friends, Kevin took the kids to the beach with my side of the family. While they were at the beach Van fell asleep like this on my dad's shoulders. Sadly this was one of the only pictures Kev took of the whole trip- But at least he got this one. It cracks me up!

New York New York

2009-06-12T00:25:00.000-07:00

Can I just say I love these girls. I had such a great time. And I have to thank Miss Natalie for hooking us up backstage at "Mamma Mia!".

(In central Park)

Monica met up with us and took us to one of the greatest Italian restaurants in Little Italy.
We had a great time. (this is a rushed version, I'll have to do it later)

All I have to say is this was a much needed trip with just the girls. Loved it!

Can't thank all our hubbies enough for taking the kids!

Happy Birthday to you!

2009-05-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

OK SO I KNOW THIS WAS IN MAY... I'm just playing catch up :)

Our little Van turned 1 at the end of May. It amazes me that my little guy is 1! He has such a low key and relaxed little personality. We had a great party with him. We invited family over and had cupcakes. we kept it small (just family) and I think it was the perfect way to do it.

1...2....3 strikes your out at the old ball game!

2009-05-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

We have had such a great time this spring watching Boston play t*ball. He has amazed me. He hits the ball pretty darn well for a 4 year old. We have enjoyed getting to know all the kids on his team. Go Falcons!

G.I. Van

2009-05-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Or little guy hasn't figured out how to put his knees up when he crawls. He's our little army crawler.

Swiper no swiping

2009-04-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

So Boston really is quite a sneaky little guy. Somehow he got a hold of our camera a while back (last summer) and I loved these pictures and never posted them. There were over 50 pictures, but I thought it would be fun to have a sample of them on my blog. He's one little guys that know what he wants and goes to great lengths to get what he wants.

This is by far my favorite one because it is a classic Avery face when she sees that Boston isn't doing something he's supposed to do. She always says "oooooooooooooooo.... I'm telling" and just looking at this cracks me up. He nailed it! I couldn't have captured it better than this.
I love it.

And this one I love because it's a self portrait taken of him mirrored through the cell phone. Yes, I know he had no clue what he was doing but he had a great time and this is one of those times that even though he was doing something he shouldn't have, I was secretly grateful for the memories I have of him just being himself.

Introducing...

2009-04-08T08:04:00.001-07:00

The newest member of our home

Found this on Craigs list for $250. I thought it was a fantastic deal and love the look of it. I wanted to get a piano because Avery is taking piano and really enjoys it.
It's almost 100 years old. Now where to put it....

Bonjour!

2009-03-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

So I have been a major slacker, BIG TIME!
We just got back from Quebec, Canada where they speak french. Let's just say the only thing I knew how to say was "Parlez-vous anglais?" Which means "Do you speak English?" and "Merci!" Most of the people we met knew a little English so were able to get around pretty easy. We stayed in a little ski town called Mont Tremblant so luckily for us most people knew both English and French, It's Canada, right? I was shocked at how French everything really was. But I guess that is how Quebec is. I just didn't know it until we were there. I guess I just thought everything would be in both English and French. Most of the time it was only in French so it was a little hard to get used to.

This was a very unexpected trip. We knew we wanted to go skiing and so we did some research. We wanted to go somewhere we had never been before. Kevin found this awesome deal on airfare from Allegiant Air. Keep that airline in mind, they have awesome deals to random smaller airports. We flew out of Sanford which is only 35 minutes from our house. It's one to definitely look up. Our whole family (4 plane tickets) flew for $360 round trip! Isn't that awesome. They have all kinds of deals. They do charge you to pick where you are sitting but they always keep young kids with there parents, so we decided to chance it (just incase you book a flight). It worked out beatifully and I would highly reccomend them. We flew into Plattsburg, New York and drove two hours to Mont Tremblant. The drive wasn't bad at all and Mont Tremblant was amazing!

The first day we put the kids in Ski School for a couple hours. Van went to the Activity center. This is the first time I have ever left any of my kids as an infant to be watched by an "activity center" but it was right next to the tram and I had there phone number so I could check up on him at anytime. It worked out great. Kevin and I were able to have some alone time and despite Kevin's fear of heights and cold weather, we actually had a great time and he actually did awesome! Way to go Kev! My sister-in-law Michelle has always said "There isn't ever bad weather, just bad gear" So we were prepared and weren't cold once. It was great. The kids did great. The resort had a really cool "magic carpet" tram (pictured below) that was easy to get up the mountain for beginners. It was so much easier than a tow rope. I was shocked at how independent they were on the mountain, so the next day we went skiing as a family. We had so much fun. Boston now wants to move to Canada and talks about it all the time.

I do have to mention this. It's one of those "you had to be there" stories but worth telling anyways. When we were at a restaurant (remember everything is in french). At the end of the meal Kevin was acting all smooth and when our waitress picked up his plate to take it away he smiled and said "Gracias" in his suave voice like he was fluent in french. She turned to me like nothing had happened (obviously she didn't know any spanish) and asked me a question but I was laughing to hard to answer because I couldn't believe he had just gotten confused and said thank you in spanish instead of french. It was so funny. But yes, I understand, it probably isn't that funny to you but a memory I will have forever.

Tubing In Mont Tremblant

2009-03-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

Although all of these different snow trails look the same, they really aren't. Each one is different with it's own spin of bumps and steep parts. This tubing park was a blast. This was the first time I have ever been to a tubing park with a tow rope and everything. It was great fun. Avery and Boston loved it. Kev and I rotated so Van could watch and take in all the excitement.He is such a sweet little guy and loved every minute of it. Boston was Mr Independent and wanted to do it by himself all the time. Avery was my sweetie who wanted to make sure Kevin and I didn't feel left out when it was are turn to be with Van. It was such a great thing to do with the fam.

Skiing at Sundance

2009-01-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

Can I just say that I love SUNDANCE. It makes me feel at home. It is by far my favorite resort. Maybe because it was 15 minutes from home and I grew up skiing there but there is just something about it. I love the small ski resort feel. When I think about it, it makes me smile. So many fun childhood memories. And because of that. the one thing I was determined to do while we were in Utah is take the kids skiing. When I got sick I didn't know if it was going to happen. On the last day of our trip I finally felt strong enough to go. I was so excited. I didn't know quite how it would all work out. Kevin was awesome and came with me. He isn't a fan of the slopes so he hung out with Van. We stayed on the tow rope and the kids loved it. Kevin would stay in line with Boston while I took Avery up and then by the time we skied down the mountain Boston would be near the front of the line and then I would take Boston up and Avery would wait in line. It was perfect. Avery surprised me because she was so determined to ski on her own and she didn't want me to hold on to her so I would ski backwards and she would follow me. Boston was pretty brave as well, but he liked to ski fast so he skied between my legs. We had the best time and Kevin was such a trooper. Van was fascinated by all of the people and didn't get fussy at all. It was great. The only thing that made me sad was not being able to experience this all the time. That's one of the things I truly miss about Utah- the beautiful mountains and the snow (sigh).

Our Little Sussy

2009-01-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

While we were in Utah, Nicole Hill of A little Sussy took some pictures of Avery for the company she worked for, Ruberball, a stock photo company. You can check them out on her blog. Last time we were in Utah she wanted to take some pictures of Avery and our schedule was too tight, so I was glad that it worked out this time. We had lots of fun. Thanks Nicole- you are incredible at everything you do!

Sledding with Aunt Jen

2009-01-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

So while we were in Utah I got really sick and was in bed for almost 2 full days. This was frustrating because I wanted to do so many things when we were there but because I got sick, I didn't get everything in that I wanted to. Including spending time with so many people that I wanted to. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Next time, right?

Luckily for me, I have one of the best sisters ever and she took my kids sledding for a day, took them to her house for hot cocoa and made the Lance and Jen helped Boston and Avery make a snowman. They had so much fun. I just wish I would have spent the day with them instead of spending it in bed. Thanks Jen! I owe you one!

***

Who's that crazy woman running after the train?

2009-01-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

The day we got to Utah was a little crazy. We decided before we came to Utah that we were going to ride the Polar Express (Heber Creeper). Little did I know I would be packing all night- I didn't even sleep for 2 minutes.

When we arrived in Utah I was exhausted and took a little nap. When I woke up, I had to hurry and get ready. We were really pushing it for time. Avery was meeting us up at the Heber Creeper because she was playing with her cousin and they were going on the "Polar Express" with us.

When we drove past Midway I had a feeling we weren't going to make it. I was mad at myself because I knew if I planned better, this wouldn't be happening to us. We were on the phone back and forth with Genise and Matt (Kev's siter and husband, who had Avery on the Polar Express) and when we turned into Heber we had less than a mile to go. I was panicked. Matt told us that the conductor just said "all aboard and they were starting the engine. We were speeding down the road and we could see the train. We hurried and parked and we could see Avery and her cousins and Matt and Genise on the train. I slammed the car door and started running. Let me give you a visual... I had jeans on with huge 1980's moon boots- navy blue with red and white stripes, a fleece, my puffy North Face vest, and a snow hat on. I started sprinting and I mean sprinting for the train. Kevin grabbed Boston out of his car seat.

All of a sudden I heard the train whistle and I knew what was going to happen. The train slowly started to move. I started screaming and crying at the same time and literally grabbed a hold of the train. Boston was screaming because he wanted to be on the train and was stuck in the snow. Kevin knew there was no hope but for some reason I kept sprinting. The conductor told me it was too late and to go talk to the lady in charge and the train station. I kept screaming "My daughter is on that train! My daughter is on that train!" With tears down my face... I had lost it!

Meanwhile, Genise (kev's sister) was yelling to her husband, "Do something Matt! You have to stop the train!" I think everyone on and off the train, including our husbands, thought we were crazy.

The reason I was so upset was because Boston wasn't with his cousins and sister. If they were together and we missed the train I wouldn't be nearly as crazy and upset.

I ran to the lady in charge and she radioed to the conductor. They told me it wasn't going to happen. I was balling my eyes out. I honestly was acting like a five year old.

Then all of a sudden the conductor told the lady in charge that the train had to stop because they had to wait at a train crossing, so if we hurried we could run and get on the back of the train. I couldn't believe it! We were so lucky! When we entered the train everyone was cheering- I felt like we were apart of some cheesy Christmas movie. That's when I realized that everyone was watching me from inside the train. I could feel my cheeks get pink from the embarrassment.

So yes, we were able to go on the Polar Express and share the experience with cousins. We had fun listening to the story and having hot chocolate and cookies, singing songs and meeting Santa and Mrs. Clause.

Note to self- Be at least 30 minutes early next time :)

gotta love Boston's smile...it's his "I don't want to take a picture" face.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T11:16:00.001-08:00

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas

2008-12-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

Avery Started Piano this September. It was such a joy to watch her progress for the last couple of months and be able to watch her participate in the Christmas recital. She did such a great job and I was so proud of her. Way to go Aves!

Thanksgiving Camping Trip

2008-12-03T06:50:00.000-08:00

While most of you are freezing, we decided to go camping by the beach for Thanksgiving weekend. Yes it is a little colder than usual, but it is still warm enough to be in a swimsuit and catch a wave or two. I think our favorite part was taking pictures of everyone jumping in the air (you had to be there). The kids were so excited to camp. We had lots of fun doing skits, making banana desserts (thanks to you Jen) and telling stories. I only wish we could have stayed longer. :)

Most people make snowmen out of snow. Here in Florida, we make them out of sand.

cute little cousins

Halloween

2008-11-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Patches in Florida are just a bunch of pumpkins in a church parking lot, not too exciting. Luckily, we have lived here for long enough that my kids don't know what a real pumpkin patch is supposed to look like. They were just excited they got to pick out their very own pumpkin.

This year for Halloween, we didn't do a theme. It actually made me sad, but Avery really really wanted to be Hannah Montana and I didn't think that Boston would be too excited to be Jackson or anyone else from the show, so I let them choose what they wanted to be and let go of choosing what I wanted them to be.

Boston wanted to be Buzz Light year, so I talked Kevin in to being the same... It took a while to convince him but because he always procrastinates until the last minute to get a costume he decided it would be fun to share the experience with Buddy #1.

Van (Buddy #2) was a skunk ( I bought the costume last year after Haloween for $5). He looked even cuter than I thought he would.

This was the first year I didn't dress up, unless you call a Halloween t-shirt and jeans dressing up. I wanted to, but I was so involved getting everyone put together I forgot I didn't have a costume. There's always next year, right?

This year we didn't do a theme. It actually made me sad but Avery really really wanted to be Hannah Montana and I didn't think that Boston would be excited to be Jackson so I let them pick what they wanted, not what I wanted. Boston wanted to be Buzz Light year so I talked Kevin in to being the same. It took a while to convince him but because he always procrastinates until the last minute to get a costume he decided it would be fun to share the experience with Buddy #1. Van (Buddy #2) was a skunk. He looked even cuter than I thought he would. This was the first year I didn't dress up. Unless you call a Halloween t-shirt and jeans dressing up. I wanted to, but I really was so involved getting everyone put together I forgot I didn't have a costume. There's always next year, right?

Bon Appetit!

2008-10-13T06:08:00.000-07:00

Last week I volunteered at Boston's preschool. They needed extra help making pizzas. It was so cute to watch Boston with all of his little friends. They made cute little chef hats witha peice of cardstock and tissue paper. The pizza was half and english muffin, pizza sauce and cheese. They were really easy and the kids loved it. They all looked so darling. This is a picture of Boston with two of his best buds Kevin and Evan.

Three months, Two teeth, One handsome litttle guy

2008-10-06T06:17:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it?! At three months Van's two bottom teeth popped up while we were in Seattle! No wonder I have such a drooler. Avery and Boston didn't get any of their teeth in until they were p months, so this was new to us. The poor little guy was miserable but now that they are all grown in he's a happy little camper. :)

Avery's first swim meet

2008-10-05T19:46:00.000-07:00

Avery had her first swim meet this month and can I just tell you how dedicated you have to be to be on swim team- even if you are 6. She has swim team Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday every week and then every other week we have a swim meet on Saturday.

I received my first "mom rejection" at this swim meet. SO this is how it all went down. During the warm up laps they put everyone on 4 person teams. Avery was placed with 3 ten year old girls. I was nervous that the 3 ten year old girls were going to be upset that Avery was on there team because she might slow their team down so I wanted to stay close by just to make sure she was o.k.- I was really upset that she was placed with older girls but stayed calm. All the other 6 year old girls were together, so why was Avery with the older girls!? When they were all lined up ready to go Avery turned to me and said "Um, Mom can you go stand over there", as she pointed to all of the other parents. She clearly wanted to hang out with the other girls and didn't want her mom standing by her fidgeting over her. I think my jaw dropped but I handled it quite well. I quickly made sure her goggles were on right and smiled as I walked away. My heart was broken inside but I had to laugh a little because I knew it was going to happen sometime. I just didn't expect it so soon. I guess she is 6, but at the same time she's still just 6, right? I found out shortly after I left her sight that they put the girls together for a warm up relay and it wasn't a timed race, it was a practice race before they officially started the meet so I really was stressing over nothing. The coach had randomly selected four teammates to be together and Avery happened to be standing close to the ten year old girls. whew!

Anyways...

Avery did awesome! She placed second in her heat and fourth overall in her age group. We were so proud! Go Avery!

Seattle (part 2)

2008-09-27T23:59:00.000-07:00

I could honestly go to Washington and just hang out at the Morris house. We had such a blast. With the lake in the backyard and no alligators to worry about, we spent lots of time in or near the water. Even the grass up there is amazingly lush and wonderful to run through, unlike grass in Florida. Thanks for having us Tim and Pat, we had an amazing time!

The Morris house is in the middle and these are the two views you get from their backyard. If you look to the left you see Mt Rainier and if you look to the right you see beautiful sunsets in the evening. I love it! These pictures just make me want to go back.

Avery and Boston's favorite part was going on the scooters and being on the lake.

Kevin's uncle has this old truck on his property. I really wanted Holly's talent so I could get some great pictures but I guess these will have to do.

Ryan and Tori made Van his cute Vans shirt and I was so glad it was a little chilly so he could where a long sleeved shirt. While we were there he was drooling a ton and sprouted two teeth (at three months old!). Our little guy is growing up!

One of the biggest reasons we went to Seattle was because Kev wanted to see BYU play against Washington. He has made it a tradition to see 1 away game every year. Go Cougars! (even though he graduated from the UofU he will always be a BYU sports fan)

Mt Rainier

2008-09-27T23:53:00.000-07:00

We took two separate days to hike around Mt Rainier. Zoe and Genise joined us the first day while Kevin's parents watched Van. He was really upset with us when we got home so we decided to go another day with just our little family and take Van with us...haha. No Really we love to hike and around Mt Rainier it is absolutely beautiful. I just wish we had a whole week to go camping around this area.

Day 1

We decided to hike aorund a lake. The kids loved it and couldn't enough of trying to skip rocks in the lake. On our way out a bear ran across the road we were driving on. I wanted to take a picture but it happened so fast and when it was in the woods it was really hard to see so in order to get a good pcture of him I would have had to get out of the car and I didn't know if he was with another bear so I thought it would be better if I just stayed in the car.... call me a scardy cat but after living by alligators I've learnd to always play it safe.

Day 2
We decided to go up a little farther on Day 2. The 360' view was amazing. Kev was a trooper because he held both Boston and Van for quite some time. At first I thought the hike was going to be a disater because my kids were complaining during the beginning where it was up hill. Once it was alittle easier and itleveled off they were just peachy and it was great.

About half way we actually saw a interesting family that I wanted to take a picture of, but didn't in fear of them beating the crap out of me. We could see they brought a stroller with them which I was shocked even made it up the trail, but what was so crazy was they had their dog in the stroller where you usually have a baby strapped in and their darling baby girl was sitting in the bottom basket where you usually store your diaper bag. Dad had on pants that were 5 sizes to big and sported a wife beater tank top and mom had on huge sunglasses with short shorts and a mid drift... boy, was it a sight to see. A sight you usually don't see taking a beautiful hike in the mountains. But I will commend them for doing so. I know, I should have taken a picture. Next time right?

San Juan Islands

2008-09-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

We were so happy that Genise and Zoe came to visit us while we were in Washington. We decided to take a trip to the San Juan Islands. The views are breathtaking. Some of the highlights were climing up Mt constitution and going to Aggott Beach.

Seattle (more to come)

2008-09-16T17:36:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a little trip to Seattle to visit Kevin's parents. At the time we booked the trip I just wanted Van to be at least three months old and Kevin really wanted to go watch the BYU/Washington game so we thought it was perfect timing. I forgot that school started a week earlier and Avery and Boston would be missing almost two weeks of school (at least it wasn't the first week of school, right?)

We decided to fly from Tampa (we saved $800 by doing so). Van screamed most of the time. Avery and Boston couldn't fall asleep and by the time we got there it was 2 am in Orlando. I highly reccomend flying with your kids in the a.m., night flights never work for us. It was honestly pure hell and I considered driving back- no joke.

Mats Mats Bay
After a good nights rest we decided to go to MAts MAts Bay. Kevi's grandparents have a little place there and they have some donkeys named Rosie and Daisy. Avery and Boston had a blast with the donkeys. They brushed and fed them the whole time we were up there.
While we were there we took a boat trip to Port Townsend. Boston loved to drive the boat with Grandpa Tim. Luckily the weather was beautiful and we were able to sit on top of the boat on the way there.

Pointe Defiance

2008-09-16T14:00:00.000-07:00

Kevin's best friend from high school came to visit us with his kids, unfortunately his wife was out of town and couldn't make it. Avery and Boston had a blast with his cute kids. We went to Pointe Defiance, which is a huge park in Seattle. We went to the aquarium and zoo and also visited an old Forte where they picked fresh carrots. We had a great time.

MArket

2008-09-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

You can't go to Seattle with out going to the Market. Unfortunately Pikes Place Market (where they throw the fish) was closed for labor day, luckily we have watched them before, besides my favorite part is buying flowers and fresh produce. These carrots were $1 a bunch and oh so delicious!

The Space Needle and Rock Museum

2008-09-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

We have been to Seattle many times. The one thing we had never done before was go to the top of the Space Needle. We decided to give it a shot this time because we live on the opposite side of the country and don't know when we'll be able to come back. I'm thinking it will be a while. It's beautiful up top and Avery and Boston enjoyed looking in the telescopes up top so they could see things up close.

We also went to the Rock museum. Avery, Boston and I made are own music video and the kids enjoyed playing with all the different instruments.

First Day of School

2008-08-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe time has flown by so fast. I remember last year how worried I was for Avery to start school. I didn't want to let go. Now she is in first grade and I can't believe it. Time really does fly by. She is such a sweet heart and I am so lucky to have her. This year seemed harder than last year, the summer went by so fast! This year she wanted to wear pants on the first day. I'm just glad they have to wear uniforms. It makes the mornings go by so much smoother. Look how much older she looks.

Kindergarten...................................first grade

And our little guy started preschool today! I couldn't believe it and boy, was he ready. He was so excited to take his superman lunchbox (cape included) to school. He was so ready he barely said good bye. I was so happy he did so well but apart of me wanted him to jump in my arms and never let go. I think at times all boys can be a little rambunctious, but I am so lucky to have him. He really is such a sweet boy. He's my bud and I can't believe he's old enough for preschool. Wow!

It's times like these where I have to step back and realize how lucky I am to have such wonderful healthy children. They make such a difference in my life and I am so grateful to be apart of their lives.

Avery learns to ride her bike with out training wheels

2008-08-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

It amazes me how fast kids learn how to ride a bike. I guess once they get it they get it. Avery was so determined and we are so proud of her! I highly recommend the balance buddy. We found one at Target for $15 along with all of her knee, wrist and elbow pads for $7. It was definitely worth the investment.

Van is growing Up!

2008-08-24T15:31:00.000-07:00

1 month........................... 2 months............................... 3 months

Van is growing up!

He has been such a joy to have in our family. He is sleeping 10-12 hours at night and is such a good little guy. I think when you come third you just have to learn to go with the flow, and that is exactly what he's been doing. He is definitely a drooler. If he doesn't have a bib on he is drenched within minutes. My other two kids didn't do this so it's new to me and boy does he flow like a river. I can actually feel one of his baby teeth coming in and he is constantly wanting to chew on everything.

Last week at the dinner table we put him in a bumbo chair (thanks Owen) on top of our table (don't worry, we were all surrounding him and it would have been impossible for him to fall) and he was yelling at everyone and cracking us up. I grabbed my camera and got the tail end of his noises so you'll have to check it out. It was so cute. The first few seconds of the video is the best- once you bring the camera out they stop doing what you want them to. I'm just glad I was able to get some of it. It's amazing how fast they really do grow up.

Michelle comes to visit!

2008-08-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun with Michelle. This is the one person I know that can put a smile on anyones face. My kids (and Kev and I) LOVE her. It amazes me that she comes out every year so she can be apart of my kids lives. It truly means a lot to us and we are so grateful she came for 2 weeks this time. We had a blast swimming, going to Sea world, going to a really cool vegan restaurant downtown, my kids loved to crawl in bed with her and snuggling. Thanks for everything Michelle, we can't wait for your next trip!

While she was here I decided to introduce her to my quilt group. Little did she know when she came to Orlando she would have a quilt finished when she left. It consumed her while she was here in the wee hours of the night but she did a great job!

Happy 4th of July

2008-07-23T19:39:00.000-07:00

No time!

2008-07-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

So I don't know how everyone keeps their blogs updated when they have kids during the summertime.

First off I am fortunate to announce that Van has slept from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. the last 2 nights. I'm not saying it's going to last forever (I'll keep my fingers crossed), But I finally got an undisturbed nights sleep. I put him down at 9 tonight, so I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

OK so now I'll start from where I left off...

Boston had his year end celebration after completing co-op preschool. This was such a fun group of kids. At the end of the year I surprised the teachers with pictures of each individual kid holding up a letter that spelled thank you and put them in a frame. It turned out cuter than I thought it would. - I grew to love all of these kids and had such a fun time when it was my turn to help in the classroom. All the kids and mothers were so great and we will miss seeing them every week. Just looking at these pictures makes me smile and miss them so much!

This is my favorite picture I took of the kids in co-op during the school year

This is a picture of Avery and a few of her friends at the Kindergarten awards ceremony. She received the award for "Radiant Reader". At the end of the school year Avery was reading at a 3rd grade reading level. She loves to read. She loves Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne, who is an author I highly recommend. Avery had a great year in her Kindergarten class. I loved helping out every Monday because I was able to get to know all of the cute little kids in her class. Her teacher was excellent. She really knew how to prepare her class for 1st grade. I just hope her first grade teacher is at least half as good as her Kindergarten Teacher

The week school ended she had her ballet performance. Avery had such a great time with her friends in the class.

This isn't the best video but it was the best I could do.

My little girl is growing up! It was so hard for me to let her cut her hair. But this is one thing I wasn't going to say no to. I figure there will be many times I will have to say to things she wants to do in life and cutting her hair isn't going to be one of them. I was sad- only because I think she looks so much older. She cut 11 1/2 inches off! So she donated her hair to Locks of Love, a non-profit organization who uses the hair to make wigs for children who don't have hair or loose it from their battle with cancer. So I'm just happy it went to a good cause.

So for Avery's 6th birthday we took her to Libby Lu's, something she has wanted to do for quite sometime now. They have a Hannah Montana Makeover that she has been dying to get. We let her invite her Aunt Kaelie to come with her. Boston went through the store while we were there and decided to dress up and rock out. It definitely kept him entertained.

Kevin's Mom came to visit during the week of Avery's birthday- She was great! She made me a whole bunch of dinners to put in my freezer so I wouldn't have to cook. It's been great and I still have a few. Thanks Pat for all you do!

I still have so much to catch up on. This is by far the biggest post I have ever done and I'm sure you've had enough of the Morris fam by now. I sure hope I'll be posting sooner- this is like a journal for me and I definitely don't want to get this far behind again. Chao!

My Three Amigos

2008-06-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone says it's hardest to go from 2 kids to 3 kids. I think it all depends on how little your children are at the time you have three. Although at times Boston can be a little rambunctious and want to help a little too much , I truly am enjoying my little threesome. I can't thank all of my neighbors and friends for all the help they have given us and I know that is one of the many reasons this transition has been a little easier than I thought it would be. Yes there are some crazy times... trying to leave to go somewhere takes twice as long, but that was expected this time around. For now I want to focus on the good times and remember how lucky I am to have three healthy, happy kids.

Home Sweet Home

2008-05-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's so nice to finally be home.
For now, Van will be sleeping in our room.
I bought this bassinet off of Craig's List for $20.
I've always loved a good deal.
I figure after he's outgrown it I can put it in
Avery's room so she can use it for her dolls.

This is the outfit Van came home in.
I love the green with his hair and skin color.
He's such a handsome little guy.

At the hospital

2008-05-27T19:35:00.001-07:00

There is something so magical when you bring a new child into the world. Words can't describe how lucky I feel to have such wonderful and healthy children.
Our family is so blessed.

Avery and Boston were so excited to see there little brother and hold him for the very first time. We bought them disposable cameras (a present from their little brother) so they could take pictures of him- they both love taking pictures and it was a hit! I can't wait to develop them. A big thanks to all of our family and friends who helped out this weekend. We our so lucky to have you and can't thank you enough!

Introducing...

2008-05-26T20:38:00.001-07:00

Van Christopher Morris
9lbs 5oz
20 inches long
(more details to come)

he is here!

2008-05-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

our little guy came today at 3:54 pm

details coming soon...

(im on the hospital computer and it's really hard to type on)

No baby yet!

2008-05-20T04:58:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would reach my due date with this little guy. He's as stubborn as the come. Luckily I'm not completely miserable being this pregnant this time around. I guess he'll just come when he wants to. If I get induced they won't do it until next week, so I guess I'll just be patient and wait and see what happens.

Relay For Life

2008-05-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

Last year was our first year of Relay for Life (fund raiser for cancer). I think it is such a great opportunity to show my children the way cancer effects so many people. At this event people are on teams and each team rotates team members and you walk all night long and raise money for cancer. There are a lot of booths with fun things for the kids to do (notice Avery and Boston's pink, blue and orange hair) The whole track that you walk around is lit up with luminary candle bags that you decorate to remember the people who have passed away from cancer or survived it. It really is a wonderful event.

SO I thought I had this great idea- because I haven't had the baby I thought to myself, you know this would be a fun night to camp out with the kids and still participate in the walk like we did last year. Kevin thought I was crazy to want to camp out like this when I was pregnant this far along, but I thought, what the heck, why not? I know it's really not camping- but my kids are too young to know the difference between a real camp sight and a soccer field, they just like the idea of sleeping in a tent. So when we went to set up the tent that I thought was a 4 man tent turned out to be a 2 man tent- can you imagine Kevin, Pregnant me, Avery and Boston in this tent? We just laughed until it was time to sleep. Boston fell asleep at midnight and Avery was determined not to fall asleep and stayed out with the adults until 2:15 a.m. and when she woke up in the morning she told us that she never really fell asleep she was just resting for a little bit. I figure one night of craziness couldn't hurt them. I just knew that it was the last time we would be camping for a little while so I wanted to do it and I'm glad we did. I will say it was the most uncomfortable nights sleep I have ever had, but besides trying to fall asleep we did have a great time, with great friends, for a great cause. But.... No baby yet- i'll keep you posted.

Got Net?

2008-05-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about living in Florida is that you can play outdoor sports, like tennis all year long. I've always wanted to have my children play sports and tennis is one sport I wish I played when I was younger. I had no idea that they could start lessons at age 3 so I was really excited when I found out from the coach that Avery and Boston would not only both be able to take lessons, but they would be in the same class. This is our eighth week of tennis lessons. I was really nervous to have Boston in the class but he loves it and actaully pays attention. Avery loves it too! It has been so fun the last couple of weeks to go to the tennis courts after Kevin gets finished with work and hit balls as a family after lessons. I highly recommend the sport to all families of all ages.

snuggle buddies

2008-05-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

Our kids were such great sleepers as newborns. They always stayed in their cribs and we never had a problem with them coming into our room. I always couldn't understand why so many parents had such a big problem with their children coming in and sleeping in their beds (boy, did I speak too soon).

It started with Avery. She would say she was scared and we would just let her crawl up with us in the middle of the night. Then it became a habit and she knew she could get away with it. There were nights we didn't know when or how she crawled in between us. It was fine until it was happening every night.

Then, Boston took Avery's lead and now for the last 6 months between 3 and 5 a.m. we're one big happy family in our bed. They fall asleep with no problem in their own beds so it's not falling asleep thats the problem, it's the staying asleep that we needed to work on.

Now that our new little one will be here at anytime we decided we need to put an end to it before he got here because we didn't want them to think it was because of him. So we had a little pep talk, and now when I go upstairs in the morning I find them both cuddled up to one another in Avery's bed. I can't help but smile. I actually think it's cute and don't mind one bit. Better her bed than mine. Someday they'll be sleeping in their own beds and I just hope they remain as good of friends as they are now.

May Day

2008-05-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last year we started a little tradition of celebrating May Day (May 1). What we do is we make cards with pictures and make vases out of plastic containers and leave them on door steps of people we love and care about and then run and hide. My kids loved doing it last year so they were just as excited to do it this year (I think their favorite part s running and hiding) Thanks Pat (Kevin's Mom) for giving us the idea. She actually delivered 28 baskets this year- isn't she amazing!?

A Wickedly fun Weekend

2008-04-28T15:45:00.000-07:00

Ryan, Tori and Owen came down this weekend to say hi! Boston and Avery had lots of fun with their little cousin. On Friday night Ryan and Tori watched Boston so Kevin and I could take Avery to see Wicked with My parents and Kaelie. She loved it. We have had the soundtrack for over a year and Avery has loved listening to it. Her eyes lit up every time a new song came on. I knew it would be a special night and it was.

The next day Boston had a soccer game and Owen and Ryan came to watch. He is such a good little kid and smiles constantly. We had a great time hanging out with them. I think Owen and Boston look a lot a like. You can definitely tell they are cousins.

Boston's First Soccer Game

2008-04-09T15:19:00.001-07:00

this was the best smile we could get out of him on our first game day.

I was so excited when I realized that Boston was old enough to play Soccer this spring. I just knew he would have a blast because when Avery was on a soccer team he thought he was too and would practice with their team all the time.
So on our first practice I was beginning to realize how competitive our little guy is. When the team would do laps around the field he wold cut corners so he could be first. When they dribbled the ball he always wanted his ball to go the furthest... and so forth.
We had two practices before our game and loved it. So on game day I expected him to run on the field and have a ball. Boy was I wrong. My ultra competitive guy wanted nothing to do with it. We had to force his uniform on- (that's when I knew we were in for a real treat). Then he just sat in his chair with a scowl on his face. He finally went out on the field but had to hold Kevin's hand (who is assistant coaching this season) and when he finally let go of his hand and kicked the ball, another teammate ran into him (which is obviously going to happen in this sport, especially on a 3 year old team) and he cried like a baby.
I will say that I do have to blame this on our first game being held during nap time AND he just got back from a birthday party that was all morning where all they did was bounce in bounce houses. So he was exhausted and to top it off, it was super hot that day.
BUT I am happy to report that at his next soccer game he was all smiles, scored two goals and we had a hard time getting him off the field. I hope more games will be like our second game. I'll be crossing my fingers! Sadly I didn't have my camera at the second game!

Basically this is what his first game was all about-scowls, whines and pure grumpiness.

Easter Fun

2008-03-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we took the Allred's to our very favorite Easter egg hunt. It's held in Celebration, where my parents live. They hide 21,000 eggs and divide the kids up into different age groups. The little ones, age 0-3 have plenty of time to fill there baskets.

After we were finished we headed to my parents for egg coloring. The kids had a great time!

Easter Morning was extra fun this year because we were able to spend it with the Allreds. The Easter Bunnies had lots of fun filling up easter baskets the night before :) I think our kids got their candy fill for the year, but they had a great time- and what's a holiday without candy, right?

Avery and Boston right before church all dressed up on Easter Morning!

Allred's come to visit!

2008-03-22T19:27:00.000-07:00

For easter weekend the Allred Fam came to visit us here in Orlando. We were so excited. They were brave and took a red eye and got in really early in the morning. Despite how tired they were, they were troopers. The first thing we did was head to the beach. The weather couldn't have been more perfect. The kids had a blast making sand castles. Unfortunately Kev had work and Avery had school, so they missed out on all the fun.

That night we went to a Braves Vs Astros spring training game. The kids had a blast. Towards the end of the game we changed seats and were able to sit in the second row. The braves catcher Butts (yes, that's his last name), ran up to Boston and gave him a baseball. Boston was so excited, but wasn't too nice about it. He wouldn't let anyone else hold it in fear of losing it. We all had a great time.

All of the Kiddos at the game, Avery found a penny and Boston still resisting anyone who came close to his ball. Aren't the Allred girls so cute?!

Three!

2008-03-06T02:06:00.000-08:00

Yes, my little Boston Jack turned 3! I cannot believe it. He is such a sweet boy and as crazy as he gets, he's a keeper! One thing about Boston that I love, is when we tuck him in at night he says "I love you so so so so so so so so so much!, and that's a lot mom!" He loves and adores his sister and can't wait for brother to get here. He actually does surprisingly well with babies. He loves to snuggle, read books, do puzzles, ride his bike, play any sport, go to school (2 days a week), be a super hero or a pirate and keep busy busy, busy, busy! We love this little guy and can't wait for the many other memories to come! Happy Birthday big guy!

Field Trip at the ZOO

2008-03-04T15:16:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to be a chaperon at Avery's kindergarten field trip to the Zoo. We had a great day. I think the highlight of the trip was to feed the giraffes. They are amazing animals and to see them this up close was amazing. I loved the fact that the viewing decks were as tall as the giraffes, so the kids really got a good look at how long and beautiful these animals are

Avery enjoyed being with all of her class mates. They get along so well. There were a couple of places where the zoo didn't smell so great. But hey, what do you expect when your hanging out with a bunch of animals!