Flying...

Grumpy took Madison, Daron, and Kaitlin flying in his plane this morning at 6am. He flew over from Falcon Field to Williamsfield AFB and Kevin and the kids met him there. I got them all up at 5am to get dressed and eat breakfast so that they could be on time and they got in about an hour and a half of flight time I think. They were very excited last night when he invited them and got a little nervous about it this morning, but when they got home I asked them how they liked it and they ALL loved it!!!! It was a great experience for all of them. I remember flying all over the place with Papa Kanaga growing up. Good memories and I am glad the kids have a grandpa that flies too!

Thanks Grumpy!!!!

Granny & Grumpy...

My Mom and Dad have really been working just as hard at our new home as theirs over the past couple of months. They come over and hang all the stuff on the walls, decorate plant shelves, donate furniture and christmas stuff, etc. that they aren't wanting anymore, come to make dinner with the kids and bring all the stuff to do it with...etc.,etc., etc.

Well, last night they do it again! My mom brings over all of the fixins' to make her and Dad's yummy stacked enchiladas and pudding parfaits for dessert. She had the girls help her make the pudding and put them into the pretty parfait dessert cups that she gave us on a previous trip. They had a lot of fun doing those. Then Daron came in and helped slice the olives for the enchiladas and had fun helping and talking while he worked.

Then, as if that isn't enough work for them...she brought a huge shelf that she was giving to us for our family picture wall and had Dad anchor it to the wall for us. Papa was here and the two of them worked very hard to get that big shelf hung. We have metal studs in our walls and it makes finding them extremely time consuming. Dad was very patient and got her done!

So then, my Mom paints the shelf black for me and varnishes it ALL before she calls it a night and heads back in to Mesa. She comes in with a truck load FULL of supplies and food and leaves with just her purse. She brought enough food that we won't have to do much cooking for the next 2 days!!

I don't love my parents for what they can do for us, but I DO love them for the time and service they are always so willing to share. It was VERY generous of them to come out and make a fun night for us and we appreciate them and love them!!! They have very busy lives too this past year and it means a lot that no matter how much they have going on, they include us in their thoughts and plans!

Tawna and Chance and Faith got to come too and we loved seeing them. Tawna is always so sweet to help out also and I think I should be more like her sometimes! We are glad we get to see her and the kids often and it is really great for Lauren, Kaitlin, Madison and Daron to have family around all of the time. They have really had a great summer with family from all sides and are loving it!

Anyway, thanks again Mom & Dad....You are the best! The food was yummy and being together was awesome!

(Again, no pics:( Maybe I will get a camera to use for awhile soon!)

Pionner Day Breakfast & Parade...

We went to our wards Pioneer Day breakfast and Parade this morning and it was really a good time. The kids all have made some friends in the new ward and this makes me extremely happy! They had pancakes, sausage, eggs and homemade Brigham Young donuts (his recipe).
Kevin brought their scooters with us and they all rode in the parade behind a make shift covered wagon that was really a Rhino.

The kids also all got a play date out of the deal and are all going to friends houses to play this afternoon!!! Yeah!

We got there late because Lauren was a bit sick this morning, but it all worked out great in the end...

Sorry no pictures but somebody decided to break my camera at the pool yesterday. No one has fessed up, so we'll probably never know!!! Hopefully we can get it fixed or replaced or borrow one from someone who has an extra laying around before Emersyn makes her debut!!!

Thank You...

Kevin brought me these pretty Hydrangea flowers home the other day and it really perked me up !!! He is always so thoughtful and I love him!!! The kids are always so cute when they see him coming in with flowers for me...They're funny!

Thank you Babe. I appreciate you for all you do and LOVE you lots!!!

Fun new Swim Center...

We got to go to a fun new swimming place yesterday for the afternoon and we all had a great time. It's a public pool that is more like a water park. We went from about 2-5 pm and for me it was a little hot being so pregnant and I am sure I didn't drink enough water while we were there because I was too worried to take my eyes off of Lauren for a second!!! So, by the time we left I was a mess, but the kids asked if we could go there every day. So, it must have been a hit. We met up with our friends the Martins and my sister Tawna and her 2 kids also. There were 2 water slides and a lazy river, a huge play area for the little kids, a deep end, and a whole seperate lap pool and deeper pool for diving off of the diving boards, one of which was a high dive.

Still, a whole summer without sun burns!!!!!

Let Them Eat Chocolate Cake...

And we did!!! After we ate at Claim Jumper we ordered a "piece" of MOTHERLOAD chocolate cake to go. This cake is awesome!!!! We were all too full that night of course, but the next day after church and nap time (after all Sunday IS a day of rest!) we enjoyed our dessert!!!! Lauren and her Dad shared a double decker piece and we had a blast enjoying cake and each others company around the table!!!

Jade & Jeff's Visit...

Jade, Jeff and their boys visited this past weekend and stayed with us Saturday until Sunday. We love having them here and between their kids and ours, it is "Happy Chaos"!!!! The kids run around and chase each other and they play video games and play with Roxy and watch movies and play with toys and etc,. etc., etc.!!!!!

We all decided to go out to dinner Saturday night at Claim Jumper in Tempe. It was so yummy and the kids were all so good at the restaurant even though it was a late dinner. Kaitlin brought the camera along to take some pictures and was deemed "the official picture taker" of the weekend! She does a great job behind the camera! So, above are some shots she got that night.

Anyway, we are glad they came and they are welcome anytime as always!!!!

Heidi's Bridal Shower...

Kaitlin got to attend her very first bridal shower this last Saturday with me and we had a great time. She asked me ahead of time what they do at a bridal shower and I gave her the basics...eat, talk, play games, and watch presents being opened. So, off of that info she decided to go! It was pretty tame for the most part with the exception of some strawberry edible panties, glow in the dark bubble bath and one or two other things that neither one of us can remember!!!

Kaitlin got to be the "bride model" for her team in the game where you create a wedding gown made completely out of 1 roll of toilet paper in 10 minutes. She laughed the whole time and her Aunt Nedra and Grandma Pearl were on her team. They ended up winning the game for the best design and got a prize of a bottle of bath bubbles each from Bath & Body Works!!!

Then Kaitlin got to hand Heidi all of the presents one by one for opening and was a ham the entire time and having fun!!!

In was a great party and a great afternoon spent with Kaitlin and I, minus the other kids for a small break!!!! But, Daddy was at home taking good care of Daron and Lauren and they had a great time too!

Congrats Heidi, we hope you had a fantastic time at your party!!!!!

Happy Birthday to Jade...

We hope you have a very Happy Birthday!!! We love you and are glad you are part of our family. Thanks for everything you do to beautify us and our lives..we love your visits so keep them coming! Do something fun on your big day before work starts up again!

Tawna my Twin...& my Talented Mom

I had to give a shout out to Tawna my twin sister and my Mom. Kevin's sister is getting married in a couple of weeks and each are doing so much to help where they can. My mom designed their beautiful wedding invitations and got them printed for a great deal. She always knows what is going to look the best and goes above and beyond! We all continue to benefit from her creativity and graphic artist abilities and her willingness to help. Thanks Mom!!!

And, Tawna is taking the pictures for the big occasion. She will be doing all of the temple ground shots and the ring ceremony and reception. She has a great eye for detail and will do a fantastic job for sure. She came over the other night to make a master list of everything they wanted to shoot with Heidi and we had a good time while they were all here. We had a spaghetti diner and all of the kids played their hearts out. We did a practice run on Heidi's hair with her headpiece and veil and she looked very pretty! Chance kept asking "is that girl going to get married?" Then he told her how pretty she was. He was very cute. Madison and Kaitlin also thought Aunt Heidi looked so beautiful and like a bride!!!

Oma came too and worked on the wedding gown while we watched a little of, "So You Think You Can Dance" which apparently is one of her favorites, so wee-haw!!! The kids love having everyone here, no matter the reason.

And, thank you Tawna for all of the cute, and much needed baby stuff!!! I love the gift bag you brought it in and I am gonna cut it and frame it for their room. Madison loved helping me organize the clothes and stuff and fold them and put them away. She says, "now we are all ready for Emmy to come out!"

Thanks again for all of your help both of you. I know Heidi appreciates you very much!!!!!!!

A Trip to the Lake...

Kevin was so excited to take the kids to the lake yesterday afternoon into the evening. They went with our friends the Olsons and had a great time. Even Lauren got to go this time because she has been doing so great about wearing a life vest at the pool and she is learning to listen and mind Mom and Dad a little better. All of this make a huge difference on the lake for sure where the kids DEFINITLY need to listen and pay attention for safety.

Anyway, Daron did an awesome job knee boarding and Kaitlin and her friends enjoyed swimming by the back of the boat when they were stopped and relaxing back in the coves. Lauren also loved swimming with some freedom out in the water. She loves water of any kind and wants to swim, swim, swim.

Madison missed the lake but is having a great time up in Taylor visiting with cousins with her Dad and Step-mom and sister. She loves going up there and all of the fun things there are to do and she loves to play with family. So, she will get to "Lake it" with the rest of them next time!

I am not allowed on the boat right now for the obvious reason of being hugely pregnant and every little bump is bad! So, my good friend Terri took me out for a much needed girls night!!! I do this very seldom, like a lot of Moms, and when it comes around it is such a treat. We went shopping for her kids a little bit and some things she wanted to get for our new baby as a gift. Very sweet and thoughtful of her indeedy! Then we had dinner at Red Robin, YUMMMMM! Then it was on to Joann Fabrics for beads and clasps as she has a custom hair bows, bracelets & jewelry, and TuTu business which she is great at! She so reminds me of my Mom the way that she is so talented and can seem to do anything she tries. Anyway, thanks Terri for a fun time!!!

It was a fun Friday night and everyone got a little R&R for the soul!!!

Lauren Reading So Sweet...

I was picking up the house and doing my rountine run through before bed the other night and walked into Lauren's room to put something away and this is what I found. She was so sweet sitting there with her whole basket of books reading them one at a time! I have never seen her do this before. She really loves her room and her toys and things. She didn't want me to read to her, but by herself. She is very strong willed about what she wants and in some things very independent, especially lately. I really do wonder what she's going to think of the baby since she has been our baby and is very spoiled by us and the older kids. Time will tell...but time is running out!!!!

Happy Birthday To Summer...

The big 32!!! I know that you will have a great birthday!!! Another year older and wiser and all that stuff...

Dancing with Dad...

The kids were all getting their "groove thing" on in the garage the other day with Kevin. He turns the boat music up seriously loud and they love it. They are ALL great dancers!!!

Family Game Night with Oma & Opa...

Cranium was a great game...good pick Kaitlin!!! We had to keep Lauren bribed with popcorn (she calls it coi-coi) so she'd leave the board alone! Good times!!!

Kaitlin's Volleyball...

Kaitlin has been playing volleyball all this week in a summer camp and is having a blast! Some of her friends, Anastasia, Brittany and Emily, are playing also which makes it even more fun!!! Here are some team pictures... She played in Texas last year and seemed to enjoy it and maybe it's something she can like through junior high and high school. She definitly has the height for it!!

Sentimental Sundays...

Okay Mom, here is my first post for our new sentimental Sundays. Granny had this idea which I think is a good one, but I have pregnancy memory and it has made it hard for me to think of one particular anything to share. But I'll give it a shot and know that maybe it'll open up the brain flow for next time...

Today after our most sacred nap time (a Sunday must) me and the kids decided to make homemade donut holes for a fun treat and leftovers for breakfasts. Cooking in the kitchen with the kids reminded me of all of the different things that Mom and Nana and Grandma were always making in the kitchen, whether it was for us kids or with us kids. Grandma always made the best cookies and her cookie jar actually had cookies in it at all times. And she makes the best chicken fried steak and I loved Sunday dinners at her and Papa's house. She also had a pantry full of candy because she worked for a distributor I think back then and when we would visit sometimes she'd let us pick something off of the shelf before leaving. Her and Papa always made us peanut butter and jelly toast for breakfast when we stayed the night. Nana was always making us something yummy too... from homemade waffles (the huge square kind) to really good soups and casseroles and pizza and baked everything!!!!!! She used to buy the huge 5 gallon tubs of vanilla ice cream from Thrifty (I think) and we would have ice cream sundaes with chocolate and nuts twice a day sometimes. And, I remember pickle and cheese sandwiches for a late night snack on homemade wheat bread. I still love those and not because I'm pregnant, ANYTIME!!! And one of the things she used to do is with the left over chocolate frosting when she frosted a cake, she'd put the frosting in between graham crackers to make little sandwich treats. I could go on and on and on!!! My mom has always been a great cook also and I love her lasagna the best. Every year for our birthday she let us pick our favorite dinner and that was always mine! I love her mac and cheese, swiss steak, brocolli soup, cauliflower and cheese sauce, fried chicken, meatloaf, cookies, chocolate nutty delight, etc., etc., etc.

Wow, can you tell I've got food on the brain??? Anyway, one funny story about cooking something when Mom was gone one day and me and Tawna were in charge. I think our cousin Ali was over and we were living in Mesa on Dewberry Sreet which is over off of ValVista and about broadway I think. We wanted to make chocolate milkshakes and thought we knew what we were doing. Boy were we wrong. First of all we didn't have any ice cream or chocolate sauce or milk as far as I can remember. Aren't those all necessary ingredients??? So we made them out of chocolate chips (since there were always plenty of those around, right Mom?) water and ice. YUCK!!! Sounds gross and I am sure it was, but the mess we made was apparently astronomical because Sherry flipped her lid when she came home to this chaos!!! I don't recall all of the consequences or the freak out but I do remember butter and some silver ware being thrown around the kitchen during the rage directed at us and our bad choice that day!!! I commend her for not seriously hurting one of us because now that I am a Mom I tremble to think of the first time I walk in to that kind of disaster and how I will handle it!!!

Thanks for not beating us Mom!!!!! We really were bad sometimes!!! I am sure that when you and Dad hear me telling my kids about how when they are all grown up with their own kids I am going to visit them and laugh and laugh because their kids won't mind them like they didn't mind me, you guys are laughing inside hysterically!!!

Ped Egg Pedicure from Hubby...

I know I brag about Kev a lot, but not nearly enough as far as I'm concerned!!! My sweet Husband decided to give me an impromptu pedicure tonight and it was both thoughtful and hilarious! My feet are so sore and both of my heels had a crack in them thanks to me being prego and heavier and also our new travertine floors! So, he "Ped-Egged" me and did a fantastic job of it! His facial expressions were soooooo funny I was dying from laughter and Maddie and Lauren didn't know what to think. They were running around laughing too and Maddie was snapping these pictures in the meantime! The little vietnamese ladies I usually go to are never this fun to watch while doing my feet! I love him and my feet feel great, so thanks honey!!!

Happy Birthday to Bob...

We sure hope that Bob had a great 24th birthday today! Bob is a great guy and deserves the best. He is going to make someone a fantastic hubbie one day! He is very compassionate and down to earth and a great friend and brother. Kaitlin and Daron and Maddie wanted to make sure we gave him a shout out and we love him!!!

More Swimming...

Swimming with Daddy...

Kevin has been working so hard and rarely gets a whole day off. So we took advantage of the holiday weekend to do a little swimming at our friends house. Lauren loved jumping off of the edge into the water and to her Daddy. Daron and Kaitlin loved having him rocket them from one side of the pool to the other and then he launched them off of his shoulders for flips and cannon balls! They did funny stuff down the waterslide and Daron showed off his diving techniques. He and Kaitlin played mermaid, a favorite swimming make believe game they and Maddie play at any pool we go to. They all had a good time and I loved watching them from my cool seat on the step immersed in the nice water taking the pics!!!

HOA's sometimes drive us MAD!!!!!

We had to laugh hysterically as we pulled up to our friends house today to swim while they are out of town for the holiday. We were talking to Brett and Barbara last Friday night while out to dinner and they were telling us about how the HOA was giving them all kinds of grief over their boat tower sticking up over their back fence. That the tower had to be collapsed or the boat had to be moved to another place for storage. It is ridiculous to own a home with an RV gate and pad and have to store your boat at another facility. So, anyway the HOA said if they could "disguise the tower" then it may be okay. Disguise??? I asked what that meant...and today we found out. The crafty Olsen's have camoflauged their boat tower from street view by using silk plants, trees and other foliage!!! Very comical, yet it works! Oh, to own a home in an HOA these days! Good job you guys!!!