Good Times

Lately we have been attending sporting events and on Monday Kyle took the day off work so we could go boating. Kyle actually left early in the morning to go fishing and I met him at the lake around lunchtime with the three oldest kids. The in-laws watched Beckett. I have decided that Kyle is conflicted between wanting to spend time with the family and doing the things he enjoys so now he is planning our family activities around the things HE likes to do. If they were things I wanted to do it would include shopping and expensive vacations. Regardless, we always have a fun time and we all really enjoy the sporting events but I can think of some other things I would rather be doing. The boat (aka "The Mistress") has been Kyle's dream since he was 15 and I was supportive until I have seen all the MONEY and TIME it takes. Kyle cleans and tinkers with that boat for HOURS-this is why it is called "The Mistress." I try and be a good wife-really I do but the boat should have waited until retirement or until the kids were ages 5 and up. Okay, enough complaining but it is my blog and I can say what I want. Last week we went to a baseball game. It was fun but we didn't stay the whole time because it is too hard to contain a 16 mo. old for too long. On Monday we went tubing. We really did have a great time. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I drove the boat. I was afraid but I figured since I drove on the other side of the road in England for two years that I could drive the boat. If I didn't drive the boat then Kyle wouldn't have been able to tube. Fortunately, there were VERY FEW people on the lake. Here are some photos.

This is what trouble looks like...

Beckett is now 16 months old and he is going to be the death of me. I am going to have a heart attack. His middle name should be "Danger." He can now pull out our very heavy kitchen chairs and climb on top of the table over tiled floors. My mom said I should put a helmet on him. As you can see by the picture this is what I have done with the chairs. Does anyone have a better idea???? It looks ugly but I don't want a broken bone or concussion. MY OTHER CHILDREN DID NOT DO THIS!!! Is it just because I am older that I find this exhausting??? Don't get me wrong-I love him dearly and he is doing A LOT of cute things right now-but the climbing-although I know is natural is driving me crazy. He also just can't get the concept of going down stairs like a toddler does. He only wants to go down them like a person whose legs are longer than 8". Fortunately his injuries have been very minimal. His face did meet concrete earlier this week at a friends house when he was trying to climb on a ride-on toy but that has been about it.

Faith

I haven't blogged much about Faith lately. It seems like most of my blogs focus on Eden and Beckett since they are home with me. Faith has had a lot going on lately. She started softball a few weeks ago and is loving it. She played for two summers before we moved to England so we were anxious to get her back in it this summer. This year she is in a league where the girls pitch instead of the coaches-should be interesting. Her fist game is this week so we will see how it goes. Faith also performed in a piano guild. She memorized 4 pieces and performed them in front of a judge. We will find out how she did this week although it doesn't really matter. I was proud of her for just memorizing and practicing them so much. I must say though that she was VERY nervous. We had to go to our local university for her to play. Faith is also starting phase 1 of orthodontic care. I never knew there was more than once phase but I guess there is and it is going to cost us a fortune. She has to start out with an expander, then a retainer and then in a year or 2 the actual braces. Of course we want her to have a beautiful smile so we will do whatever they tell us to. We went in last week to have the expander put in but she didn't do so well so we have to go back this Fri. Faith has very sensitive teeth so dental work is hard on her. I bought her some Sensodyne toothpaste and am going to give her a big dose of some sort of medicine before her next appt. Wish us luck. I also took her to lunch that day-just she and I to Chili's. In the photo she is REALLY enjoying her corn on the cob. I swear she ate off every kernel. Faith is a wonderful daughter. She is a very determined person who tries her very best at everything and is a total rule follower. We are praying she stays this way.

Jason Earles

Last night we went to an arena football game here in town. We do enjoy the games but we chose this game because Jason Earles from Hannah Montana was there signing autographs. We totally lucked out and got to meet him and didn't have to stand in line for 2 hours like I did for Zach and Cody. I have to admit our whole family enjoys watching Hannah Montana (even Kyle). This was a huge treat. Kyle knows a guy, who knows a guy etc..etc.. who made this happen. The last two games we have been to we have been able to be in a suite at the game. It is great-mostly because of Beckett. He is able to run around and have some freedom. Anyways, after Jason was done signing for the general public they move him to a suite so he can watch the game. There were three other families in our suite so each family, one at a time, got to go to his suite to meet him. His suite was actually right next to ours and they are open so like 6 little girls were staring at him like he was a caged animal at the zoo. He was very friendly. He is actually like 32 years old but looks very young and he is very small. I am wearing flats in the photo with him. We couldn't get a picture with he and Eden because Eden refused. She has been anticipating this event for a long time but was very nervous and shy around him. She would barely speak and looked at the ground when he was signing an autograph for her. Out of the three kids, she is probably his biggest fan. He also, very kindly, signed an autograph for two of Faith's friends who weren't there. I have a lot of other blogging to do but wanted to add this one in here. He is the first famous person I have ever met-might not have been my first choice but very fun nonetheless and great for the kids. Edward Cullen would be my first choice-haha I know he isn't a real person-dang it!!

BLESSED!!

This has really been a special week. Both Sawyer and Eden had programs at school for Mother's Day, the kids all made me cards and cute stuff at school and today Kyle and I celebrated 12 years of marriage. I really do have all I have ever wanted and more. Growing up I very much wanted to get married and have 4 kids. I never imagined what incredible kids and husband God would bless me with. My heart is full today. I feel very blessed. I got a Wii fit and a bike for Mother's Day. I asked for these things...Kyle isn't trying to tell me something. We also got a tandem bike that attaches to the back of my bike for Eden so we can all bike ride together. It is pretty cute and I will add some photos later. On Friday night we took our moms out to dinner. I am very happy to be back home to celebrate with them.

Special Day

This morning I registered Eden for kindergarten. When she goes to school this fall I will be losing my lunch companion and my shopping partner in crime. She is thrilled to start kindergarten. Maybe she is sick of me-who knows-but I will miss her so much. I was on the verge of tears during her registration today.

The reason this day was so special was because Sawyer's class at school had their Mother's Day program. His class recited several poems, drew pictures and Sawyer made a special book for me. The book gave reasons why he loves me (he actually said I was a good cook -NOT!!-but I am so happy he thinks so) and other nice things. I thoroughly enjoyed it all. Afterwards, I took Sawyer out of school so I could take him to lunch and out for ice cream-just he and I. I RARELY get to spend one-on-one time with Sawyer-mostly because he loves to do everything with Kyle and will always choose Kyle if he has a choice. I don't blame him. He is constantly with his mom and sisters (Bex is too young to count). I have been anticipating this day for two weeks now. It was a VERY beautiful day. Sawyer chose to eat lunch at "Meat Heads"-greasy burgers and fries and then we went to Cold Stone for ice cream. He had cotton candy flavored ice cream with cookie dough and sprinkles. Cookie dough goes with everything...right?? We even ate it outside. I don't usually like to eat outside cause it is always windy and then I am eating my hair etc..etc.. I love Sawyer so much and we had a great time.

Stuff

It's been awhile. It seems we have had a lot going on although nothing super out of the ordinary. I finished the Twilight series, had food poisoning, Bex had a double ear infection and lots of end-of-the-school-year stuff. I wanted to post some photos of our beautiful new play set that Kyle and his dad put together. It is great and the kids love it. Beckett LOVES to swing and he isn't even interested in running around outside-he just goes straight to the swing. Eden got blisters on her hands from swinging so much that she now wears gloves. Kyle opened our grill last week and found this HUGE birds nest with several eggs in it. We have decided to let it stay in there. We feel too guilty to move it. Hopefully at some point this summer we will be able to use the grill. I guess we were a little late on the purchase of the grill cover. Sawyer's class at school did a restaurant. He was a greeter and did a great job. He had about 4 lines to memorize and was quite the gentleman. All the kids in his class had a different job. I took Eden to see a stage production/musical of "Pinkalicious" today with her pre-school class. It was very enjoyable. I don't get a lot of one-on-one time with the kids so I try to take any chance I get. I register Eden for Kindergarten on Thurs. and she and Sawyer both have Mother's Day programs at school at the end of the week. I took Eden and Bex to The Children's Museum last week with Tina and Amy and their kids. A lot going on. Oh yeah, Faith also started softball this week. My biggest news is that I am going to have a babysitter this summer for a few hours once a week. This is so (if it isn't obvious) I can get out of the house by myself!!! It will be handy for grocery shopping, hair appts., even appts. for the kids. My friend Shelly, is having a sitter for her son full-time this summer and was kind enough to share her with me for a few hours each week. Thanks, Shell!!