And then there were 5

First off I want to say Happy Father's day to my dad and father-in-law!! I love my dad so very much. We have a very special relationship and I am so grateful for it. I am grateful for never wondering if he will chose us kids or something else, we came first. I love you dad!!!

So we have finally added a new addition to our family. Penny joined our family at 9:00 AM Saturday morning. She is a chocolate lab/border collie mix. Eight weeks old. She is really Arik's dog. Much like "the wand choses the wizard" this puppy chose Arik. She really gets excited to see him. This has a disclaimer: This is my own way of teaching my children, I do not care how others teach thier children, this was just the easiest way for me to teach mine.

I decided when I had Brookelyn that I would just dress my girls modestly from the very beginning. I couldn't decided when was a good time to final draw the line and teach them modesty. I have a really hard time during the summer months finding dresses with sleeves. I was in Costco the other day and find new dresses with sleeves. Here is Kira wearing hers.

Here is brookelyn wearing her dress. She played the Wii with dad before church. (We are always waiting on me. But I get three girls ready. Three hairs and three showers (all in one) takes time.)

This morning when I asked Brookelyn what she wanted me to do with her hair, she said blow dry it and curl it like you, mom. Most it not all of you know that my girls have perfectly curly hair without even trying. So I did what she asked and it was so different seeing her with straight hair. Here is a pic before I curled the ends.
Here is the finished product. She looked so different. More grown up I think. She never complained and stood on a stool for the 20 minutes it took to dry and curl her hair.


T minus 11 days until we are in Texas. We are so excited and rushing around trying to get stuff done.

Spring cleaning... in June

So, here I am finally having time to Spring clean my house. The thing that really got me motivated is that the young women in our ward are having a huge yard/bake sale to earn money for girl's camp. So, I figured, if I cleaned I would have stuff to give them. I completely rearranged my bedroom. Brookelyn's room and Kira's room finally have stuff hanging on the walls (I know a whole year later) and I rearranged our front room a little bit. I took pictures because I know that it will not look like this for very long (hopefully at least 15 days then it will be good for a month unless Arik is a pig (which I know he is not)).

Another thing I did was try and decorate my house a little bit (shocking, I know). So here are some pics.

This is the bathroom wall. I finally hung my candle holder up. The nice thing is that the candles are green to go with the paint.

For my birthday, I was given some money so I went and bought a book case that could hold all my books. I know that I will have to move hte pictures from the top shelf someday (once I get another book) but for now it is nice).
I decorated Brookelyn's room and gave her my old bookcase. She wanted to make sure I got enough pics of her room (so there are three). She is counting down the days until we are in Texas.

Yes, that is a High School Musical 3 poster on the left side. She told me where is wanted everything hung.

Her new bookcase (to her) and all her books and stuff on it.

I was told that I had to have a picture of Kira's room too. So here it is. The pink board has all the B's on it from Pres. Hinckley. It is so clean!! I also exchanged all the clothes so she now is whering 3T stuff.

A year and a half ago we got big family pictures done with my dad's side of the family. It was for my grandparent's 50th. I finally got picture frames for them and hung them up (okay Arik hung them). This is one of the walls in our front room. I love that all the family pics are in cherry wood frames and that the picture of Christ and the Proclamation are in gold making them the focal point.Here is a pic of my front room. I rearranged the couches. It will only stay this clean for so long. In the corner where the Princess chair is, is where my piano will go when I get it from my in laws.

It has been raining a ton here. Much more than usual. It doesn't help when you want fires! One of the great things about the rain is the rainbows that come with it. This is what I saaw out of front door. You saw the whole thing, I couldn't get a pic of it all because it was still raining.

So here are the real reasons you all look at this blog. Here is Kira. The outfit she is wearing is 4 top and 4T bottoms. She is just getting too big too fast.

Here is Brookelyn. That is her smile. This is her "High School Musical" shirt. It actually has nothing to do with it but that is what she calls it. It really fits her.

Where has June gone???

So I am sitting here and taking a breath, when it hit me. June is already half over. Where has it gone? My life seemed to get busier once school ended. I was teaching a GED class which ended today. (Thank goodness). One of the young women in our ward and in my Sunday school class has been watching the girls in the mornings. They totally love her.

The first weekend in June a group of us ladies went to Time Out for Women in Pokey. We sent all our kids and husbands to my house and let the boys watch them and we had a girls' weekend. WE attended Friday night's session and then went out to dinner. Saturday we went to the Time Out again and Saturday night my husband took me to the temple and we went out to dinner.

Last week was the craziest week ever. I was asked to help with the high school basketball camp and then I was asked to help with the high school volleyball camp. This next year I will be the high school "C" team coach. I will also be coaching basketball at the middle school and track as well. On top of the camps and teaching GED I had an Enrichment. I am the Enrichment leader and, of course, had to be there and plan it and everything. (This is the like the fourth time I have been enrichment leader. I really need to learn this so that I can move on.)

So last week my great sister watched my kids. Between my stuff and Arik's crazy life we saw each other no earlier then 10:30 pm all week. (Hence Brandee watching my kids. Thanks so much Brandee it really did help).

I then offered to take Brandee's kids home with me on Thursday, knowing that Brandee worked on Friday and it would save money not having to pay a babysitter, so I had four kids and Brandee's van. (We are trying to save to get a new vechile in Feb/March, after we get our tax refund back. No we are not expecting we just know that my car won't last a lot longer.)

Friday we went to Rexburg and spent the night at our friends, the Hemmings' house. Saturday we threw Alicia a baby shower. (She is having her first girl. HEY!!) Brandee met up with us in Rexburg on Saturday and she threw an awesome party. It was so much fun. The games were fun and everyone seemed to have a good time.

Saturday night when we got home we went to the drive in and saw Monsters vs Aliens. (Kids are free so it was a cheap family night activity. Probably the only one we will get all summer). Brookelyn liked it and Kira had a hard time sitting still. But she did pretty well.

Sunday was my birthday. I am getting old. WE had some friends from Montpelier and our backyard neighbors over and Arik made dutch oven potatoes and chicken. We had fun.

I have this week and next to get my house in order before we head to Texas for a month. We are so excited. My brother got his mission call, Jacksonville, Florida Spanish speaking, and he is taking out his endowments while we are done there. Poor Arik will stay in Idaho and work, July is usually busy with fire but with all the rain we are getting who knows if there will be any fires this year.

This weekend there is a baby shower in Logan and the following weekend we are having a birthday party for Brookelyn. My little girl will be four on July 1. Then we are off to Texas. When I get back I have one week before Volleyball tryouts and then school starts on Aug 17th.

The girls are growing so fast. Brookelyn just hit a growth spurt and Kira is trying to make up the distance of two years as fast as she can. We have started the potty training experience with Kira (she is much more willing to sit on potty then Brookelyn was, and she won't use the potty chair she wants to be just like Brookelyn.) We have gotten rid of diapers and are now using pull ups.

The last thing is that I am going full time next year at school. They just don't know exactly what I will be teaching. They don't even know if I will be half at the middle school and half at the high school. So, that should be interesting.

My summer is already gone and I think it just started. Sorry for the long time in between posts. Life has been crazy. But I do love it.

Spiritual Guidance

I have tried to listen to the spirit when it whispers things to me. When I don't listen I am always hitting myself up side the head wishing I had. When I did, great joy came. So Friday morning the girls and I are messing around, playing, tickling, enjoying the time together. I notice something on the back of Kira's head. At first I thought it was a scab and just when I go to pick it off. This giant feeling (very strong) tells me not to and to ask Arik about it when he gets home from work. So we are at our friend's house last night and I ask Arik what it is. He looks and this is what he finds:

It was a tick. Our friends had the necessary tools needed to remove it. We think we got the head and everything. The sucker was trying to dig fast when it felt us coming. He also wasn't bloating which is a really good sign. So we have to watch Kira for 6 weeks for signs of anything.

I feel bad that I didn't find it in the two other baths Kira had this week and I am grateful for the spirit for telling me to stop. What if I had tried to pick it off and the head stayed in her head or all the other bad things that could happen did happen. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have to get inticings from the spirit. WE check her a couple times a day and are keeping a very close eye on her.

Good news! School is over. I did it! I survived my first year of teaching and absolutely loved it. Now I get 2 and a 1/2 months off before it starts all over again. Life is flying by. In a month Brookleyn will be 4. She gets to start preschool in August also, which she is excited for.

Camping Memorial Day Weekend

This last weekend for Memorial Day weekend, we went camping with our friends from Logan. We really had a blast. Brookelyn's friend, Andrew (who she has known since she can remember) and Brookelyn were attached at the hip. Everywhere one was there was the other. They are just too cute together. Andrews's mom, Becca and I have arranged a marriage for 2025 for the two of them. HEHEHE!!!

Here are Brookelyn and Andrew being silly for the camera.

I was trying to get a picture of Brookelyn but Andrew wanted to be in it too.

Here is Kira. She was like the odd man out for a couple of days. Everyone had someone to play with but her. She just followed everyone around and tried to keep up. She is too dang cute.
We ate smores one night and Kira dug right in and loved it. Brookelyn liked cooking the marshmallows but didn't eat them. (so much like her mom.)

Brookelyn cooking smores.

Everyone enjoying the one night it didn't rain and cooking marshmallows.

Kira on the swings. She says, "Push!"

Brookelyn and Andrew were on this swing like thing. I could not get a good pic of the two of them on it.

Okay, this is not my child and sorry Rob and Lil for posting this but she is too cute. We wanted to dye her hair red and curl it and take her home with us. We love her. This is libby she is crawling everywhere and very much a oldest child (only child for the moment but they will have more some day come on she is only 8 months old.)


Thank you to the Severinsens, Crookstons, and Childs for getting together with us and playing all weekend long. Arik got to go mountain biking twice and we just got to spend time with friends. It was really nice. Thanks for everything guys.

School is over!!! I did it. I made it through my first year of school and loved it. I am in the right profession and it is really nice to know that.

Picture perfect

First off, for Mother's Day/Father's Day/my birthday/Arik's birthday we got these:

It was the first time ever we bought a gaming unit when it was new and the "thing". We love it. The girls can play and enjoy it and we can see how fat we really are.





Do you ever have one of the moments when you think, "This is exactly how I always pictured it?" Well, I got two of those days recently. We have finally been having nice weather and the girls finally have been able to get outside.

Here is my little studette riding around on her bike.

Here is Kira saying cheese. She is too cute. Kira watching her sister. Dad was mowing the lawn and she was trying to stay away from it.

We pulled out the hose and turned on the sprinkler. This is Brookelyn posing.

This is for Jamie and Levi. Kira is wearing a swim suit that Jamie and Levi bought for Brookelyn a couple years ago. They knew it was a little big but too cute that they got it. Well, here is Kira wearing a size 4 swim suit. It wasn't even big it was just right.

Kira enjoying the water.

In the beginning this was a close as they would get.

Then they got this close.


FOR MOM

My mom bought the girls dresses while we were in Mexico last summer. It is now warm enough that they can wear them again. Last year they were big and now they fit... Well, look for yourself.

Brookelyn (she got the sunglasses on Friday and they have been her constant companion ever sense.)

First, Kira didn't want a pic taken.
But then mom made her.


Life is great. I have 5 more days of school. It is so much fun. I really enjoy life right now.

GO NUGGETS!!!!!

Congrats to Brookelyn!!

Tonight was Brookelyn and Lukas' banquet for soccer. They got pizza and lemonade and then the coach passed out awards, pictures and trophies. I am so excited. My mom and dad had all our trophies displayed above the fireplace and now I want to get a shelf and start my own for my girls. It is so exciting for me!!!

Here are the kids eating dinner. From left to right: Lukas, MaKynzee, Brookelyn, and Kira. They were so good sitting and eating while all the other parents kept trying to herd their kids to the table. What examples. (It must be from perfect parenting. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!)Here is Brookelyn recieving her stuff. What award did she get...I don't know if you can read it but she got the award for Natural Ability. Brookelyn would do everything her coach asked without needing help and a demonstration. (Games were a different story but we will work on that for next year.)
Here is her pic and the team on the bottom. It is just too cute. I am so proud of her for playing this season and trying it out. I love my girlies so much. I am grateful for them and the chance I have (or honor I have) to b their mom and to raise them. We have so much fun and I look forward to all the fun times that are yet to come.