Teddy Bear Clinic

On Saturday Brandee and I took the kiddos to the Teddy Bear Clinic at the hospital. I am grateful that Brandee works there because she knew everyone and it justed seemed to go smoother. (Besides Kira screaming a couple of times for a good three or four minutes.) So here are the pics.

Us waiting in line to get looked at. Kira checking in "Hammy" (which is also the name of Gma and Gpa's dog). Brookelyn checking in "Pinkie" (when I tried to have Brookelyn name it something else she kept reminding me that it was pink. Hence the name) Brookelyn told them that Pinkie's ears were hurting. Can you tell the reason why Brookelyn has been going to the doctor for. (Not since her tubes got put in though. Thank goodness)Brookelyn all decked out as a doctor with her ballon and pony.
Kira decked out as a nurse. She is saying cheese in this picture and I was impressed that she kept her nurse's hat on so long.

Kira with Hammy after he had surgery. Hippo (MaKynzee's hippo) and Pinkie in the background with Brookelyn on the surgery bed.

Brookelyn getting her blood pressure taken and her heart rate checked. Kira loved checking her heart rate. She kept going back for more and more.

Pinkie getting her ears checked.

Pinkie broke her leg and Brookelyn was telling them how she broke it. She jumpd really high and then fell down.

Brookelyn with Pinkie after her surgery.

Pinkie got weighted and measured. Congrats it is a girl!!!

We had so much fun. Thanks Brandee for remembering and taking us. We then went shopping and I got a pair of pants a pant size smaller. I am losing inches around my waist. Yeah for me!!! There is one more practice and then a meet tomorrow for track and then track is over for the year. Time is flying!!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

Yesterday Arik and I celebrated our 5th year together as a married couple. Brandee, my sister, and her husband watched the kids so that Arik and I could go to Idaho Falls and attend the temple. (It is something we try and do every year on our anniversary.) Anyways, Arik surprised with a night's stay in a hotel. He took me to dinner to my favorite place to eat, Red Robin. We really enjoyed the time together. It was nice just being the two of us.

So what have we accomplished in 5 years:
1. Graduating from college with our BS's.
2. Having two beautiful daughters.
3. Buying a house.
4. Both of us having real jobs.
5. Arik starting grad school and still working on it.
6. Stilling loving each other and spending time together.


Today we went back to Pocatello to watch Brookelyn's soccer game. No one showed up but our team because of the rain. (Arik noted that it is probably because we have die hard parents.) Our little Monsters (the team name) scrimmaged each other for a little bit then called it quits. Then, Brandee and I took the kids to the Teddy Bear Clinic at the hosiptal. (More on that later when I can add pics). We then took the kids shopping, meeting up with a friend from Logan, Megan who happens to now be in Brandee's ward. It really is a small world. Afterwards, Brandee and Spencer invited us and the Poultons (Megan and Brad and really cute little Katelyn) over for a BBQ. It was great and I ate too much. It was fun to spend some time just with my sis even if we had to drag the four kids around with us everywhere.

It was a fun weekend. Now a day to prepare myself for school next week. My students are taking the ISATS. The big state test and I am a little nervous but know that they won't let me down.

Hunny, I love you and am so grateful that we have eternity together. Thank you for marrying me and raising a family with me. I love you so much!!!

Are you Happy??

I have always wondered if I would be happy teaching. I was scared to really pick a major because I didn't want to do something I hated for the rest of my life. So here I am finishing my first offical year of teaching and I asked myself, "Am I happy?"

It is nice to know that I am. I love teaching. I love the kids and there are some that I want to beat to the ground and shake some sense into them but I know that I am not thier mother and there is only so much that I can teach them. I love going to school and being with these kids in teh hardest grades ever. No one ever wants to relive middle school. In fact, they were the worst two years of my life. No friends, trying to find myself and I hated it.

I love coaching. I love seeing a kid success after trying and trying to accomplish things. I love the fact that these kids can talk to me and feel comfortable enough to ask me questions. Coaching is a lot nicer than teaching in the aspect that the kids listen a lot better to the coach than the teacher.

I love the school I am at. There are issues like everywhere, but I love the faulty and I love the administration. We get along well and I am comfortable enough with them to ask they things and to seek help, if needed. It is great.

I love my husband. May 1 will be five years, and it seems like no time at all. I love being with him. I love the fact that he knows all my dirty little secrets and loves me anyways. He makes me stronger and makes me want to be a better person. There is no one I would rather spend eternity with then him.

I love my girls. Oh, what would I do without them. They encourage me and make me want to be better. They think that I can do everything and that makes me feel great. I know that someday they won't think like that, but right now they do. I love the passion and love they have for the Church and in wanting to go and letting me know about it when they miss. Someday it will be a struggle but right now they are excited for Church and want to be there.

I just love my life. Is it easy, NO! Is it a struggle at times, YES! But so totally worth it. It really puts into perspective the saying, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it!" That is my life. it is hard at times but the rewards are so much greater!

I hope that everyone can find something that they love about their life and that they are happy, if not in everything at least in one thing.

Where have we been????

This weekend we were in Boise to celebrate Arik's sister, Anji's birthday. It is something we do annually. Brookelyn just loves seeing Sam and spending time in mortorized truck they have and the cool swingset. Here are some pics of the weekend.

Brookelyn enjoying the swings. Kira loved the swings and I think that this is a great photo. Besides the fact that it has my beautiful daughter in it.

Brookelyn had Sam to play with and Kira was left out so I was her play buddy. Here we are on the slide.

The greatest toy ever!! Brookelyn was such a good driver watching where she was going, whether it was forward or backward.

Here are my girlies this morning. Kira wanted to cuddle and I had to blow dry my hair for school, so Brookelyn took the job of cuddling with Kira. It was so cute I had to take a pic.
We are doing good. Track will be over next week and I only have 4 1/2 weeks of school left. It went by so fast. I absolutely love teaching. Being able to coach is a great bonus!!

Easter and Accomplishments

I got easter pics from my wonderful, beautiful, amazing, loving, sister. We did an Easter Egg hunt after church and the kids had a blast. Here is Kira carrying her basket. She wanted to be big like the other kids and carry her own basket.

All of us searching for eggs.

I look fat in the pic and I have already lost 11 pounds. So I was really fat. I will lose the weight. I will lose the weight.

Kira concentrated really hard. She really did enjoy it. (I think.)

We then did family pics. Here is my mom and dad with 4 of the 7 grandkids. Melanie and her kids had to fly back to Txas Sunday morning. :( So they missed out. Maybe someday we will all live close to each other.

Here is my family with grandma and grandpa, excluding Mel and her three kids. Hopefully we can get one more family pic before Garrett leaves for his mission but this might be as close as we get.

Our big accomplishment is that Brookelyn has not been using a pullup at bedtime. She is now a really big girl, wearing big girl underwear to bed and having mo accidents. I used to wake her up in the middle of the night to go but now she can sleep 12 hours straight and have no accident. I am so very proud of her.

What have we been doing?

Sorry we have not posted lately. I have been so busy running around like a chicken with my head comes off. I go to school at 10:30, coach track from 4 to 5:30 and then teach a Adult Ed class from 6 to 7. Brookelyn has soccer on Friday and Saturdays and this weekend my parents came up to pick up my brother from school and we spent Easter together. I don't have pics of Easter yet because my camera dies at Brookelyn's soccer game on Saturday so once i get pics from family who were smart, I will post them.

Here is Kira at Brookelyn's game this week. The weather was nice and sunny. (this is the only pic I got before the camera died.) Last week at Brookelyn's game there was snow. So here is Kira wondering why we were out in the snow if she didn't get to play in it.

Brookelyn was so cute following her team mate around. They were getting ready for the other team to kick off.

Brookelyn listening to the coach.

We have moved Kira to a toddler bed. She seemed to be too bug for the crib. We also got rid of binkies and all other comfort things of Kira's because she was getting too big. She now sleeps with two dogs and a horse. Every night before I go to bed, I check on the girls and this is what I found when I went into her room.

We are doing good. I only have seven weeks of school left, four weeks of track and seven weeks of my Adult Ed class. Once June hits, I can take it easy for a little bit and get ready for our fun July in Texas.

Kira is growing so fast and is full of life. Brookelyn is just too smart and really is a great big help in our house.

Arik is awesome helping watch the girls every night and he cooks dinner and really is making this easier on me.

Brookelyn's 1st Soccer Game and...

We signed Brookelyn up to play soccer in Pocatello with Lukas, her cousin. For us Bowens, soccer is a serious sport and one that we are fairly good at (once upon a time in our younger years). So I had a very different image of what it would be like, but the important thing is that she is outside running around getting exercise. We will teach her all the correct basics when all this stupid snow melts. But here are some pics of her playing. She did pretty well, much better in practice then in the game but she is three and I can't complain. It was pretty cold and I am proud of her for not wearing her coat like others and for toughing it out. She did get tripped once and then this big kid landed on her. we had some tears but the next time it happened she just got right back up and started running again. I love my girlie.

The team!! The really tall girl is actually 5 and shouldn't be on the team but she is the coach's daughter so you know. She is the one that later steals the ball from Luke. (Full story below)
Run, Run as fast as you can, you can't catch me, I am the Purple Little Monster (thier team name.)

No one really knew what was going on. Brookelyn and Lukas did a double team and got the ball. Go Cousins.!!! Everyone thinks they are twins, since they show up together and do everything together.

My girlie does one thing perfectly and that is her throw ins. The next few pics are the process in motion.

Just look at that form. Over the head, both feet on the ground, perfect follow through.

The end result. One throw in she threw right to Lukas who ran down the field with it and would have scored if the mean tall girl on his team didn't grab the ball with her hands, and take it from his feet, place it in front of her feet, and score. Poor Luke was so devasted he collasped right there in front of the goal.
Brookelyn and Luke taking the ball again. Go defenders, they are their mothers' children.

Things are good here. We are running around and keeping very busy. I am at school until 5:30 (that includes track practice) and then I am teaching a Basic Adult ED class until 7 so my sweet husband and taken to making dinner and having daddy daughter time for the next 8 weeks.

Congrats to everyone that recently announced that they are pregnant. I am so excited for you all. It must be spring! I know that there are many of you out there wondering when we are going to get pregnant again and well....

Just joking we are not! After two miscarriages over the past six or so months we are going to wait for a while. Let my body heal and get back to normal (as much as it can). We are not too upset. My poor mom and sister had to suffer much worse just to get the children they have. We don't think the time to right yet and are enjoying the girls. We are excited for all of you that are expecting and look forward to seeing your little ones.