Memorial Day...

Kev teaching the kids how to play Cosmic Catch... and Miss Lauren in her new favorite spot! Whether you want her there or not she climbs up...

Riding scooters, a favorite in Papa's back yard!

More games! Uncle Kevin is so great at playing with the kids...

Another favorite... tetherball!

Cute family!!! LOL! Here's beautiful Aunt Jade after camping for the holiday weekend with her 4 favorite guys... and Kevin with his baby!!!! She's all decked out in her Memorial Day colors!

The Weekend...

We always try to pack it all in the days prior to K&D leaving on the big bird to Texas! We did a good job of it this Friday, Saturday and Sunday... There was Baptisms for the Dead for Kaitlin, which she loves going to do, visits with family, a plane ride early morning with Grumpy, SWIMMING every day those days (we go swimming every day during the summer and they wanted to get some in before going), jewelry making, favorite dinners, lots of games and movies at home with the family, and a trip to the theater with Dad for Daron to see the much anticipated Wolverine! All in all, it was a very fun weekend gearing up for their departure and we will miss them lots this summer. We aren't the same sad that we used to be for sure though, since they'll be back for a 2 week visit Fathers Day through 4th of July and then back for school in August! We are soooo happy to have had this year with them and really have gotten to have "real life" with them which is a blast and A LOT of work, but every second worth it! We are happy they are spending time with Mom and Albert, Eli and Nathan! They even have a few extra boys in the house during the week over the summer, 3 more boys to be exact, and I KNOW that Daron is lovin it! Sounds like there's a lot of stuff going on over there, complete with a play (HIgh School Musical) that Kaitlin will be doing over the summer and girls camp. Daron is busy playing and completing the last 2-3 requirements for his Weblos Badge this summer and will receive it over the 2 weeks he's here in June/July. He has worked VERY hard! Gottas love them, but I have to say it makes my day to only have to grease up 3 kids with sunscreen instead of 5!!!!!!! HAPPY SUMMER YOU GUYS!!!!!! :)

At the pool... sans Emmy that day!

Kaitlins bracelets & necklace she made... very pretty!

The Girls doing their THING!

Flying with Grumpy... he's a good Grumpy!

Safely landed... Thanks Grumpy, they talked about this for a long time afterwards! Any time you're looking for co-pilots I know 3 willing to be there for you!

Darons State Project...

Daron and his Dad worked very hard on his Sate Project the end of this school year. He had to make it look like a float in a parade and it had to have all the info about his state and be creative. I think they did great! And, more importantly, so did Mrs. Hildreth, who said that it was the most creative float! They made it look like an "ice-cream float" and glued things all over the outside of the sundae glass that told about the state! Good job Daron!!!!! We are proud of all of the hard work you did for school this year!

End of the Year REPORT CARDS...

Of course they ALL did an awesome job... and here they are:






Maddie...





















Daron...






















Kaitlin...

Report Card Ceremony...

Darons Pick...

Daron picked Crepes ala his Daddy!!! Definitly one of the favorites around here... the kids have been begging for them for months! I think that Granny posted thee filling for these on Nana's Nook already, but if not then I will!

Daron takes his crepes seriously. I believe that he downed about 7-8 of them that night and I gotta say I was a little concerned he might get sick from eating so many! He was fine and loved every last bite!

Here's Maddie & Lauren enjoying big brothers choice...

YUMMMMMMMMMMM!

He looks drunk.... or, intoxication by crepe maybe?!?!?!

Kaitlins Pick...

Kaitlin & Daron always get to pick their favorite meal before they leave for a long trip to visit their Mom. Kaitlin picked Spinach & Chicken with Cheese (one of her Mom's recipes) and Homemade Chex Mix for dessert (also a Mom recipe that we changed up a bit!). I'm gonna post these on Nana's Nook also!

Here's the Chex Mix, picture courtesy of Miss Kaitlin... didn't she make it look so good!

On the trays... I ate this stuff for days, and gee I wonder why I can't lose that 50lbs post babies that I want to!!!!!
Sooooo yummy! I love this meal and so does everyone here! Even Emmy scarfes it down!

Kaitlin beating the krap out of the pretzels to get them crushed for coating our chicken! Stress relieving for sure... she liked this part!

What We've Been Up to...

Here's some candid stuff from the past few weeks at the Goodwin Home!!!!


Here's Daron dancing in the play room. He and Maddie take the "boom box" in there and really are fun to sneak up and watch!!! That's when they play the best together!





Granny, Grumpy & Papa came for a visit and hung out, played games and laughed with us for awhile! We love being so close it's fun to visit a lot!

Daddy & Emmy watching all of the crazies play and Emmy practicing her vampire skills! She is a BITER!

Kaitlin & Lauren join in the dance party going on upstairs...
Daron did Kaitlin wrong, so she gets to pizza paddle him!

Now Daron is looking for someone to paddle...

Daron was outside playing with his friend Easton, skateboarding & stuff and cut his finger. He must have been wiping the sweat off of his face on the way home because he looked like he'd been through a war. I didn't know where the blood was coming from! We got a good laugh out of this, including Daron!

Maddie has her own chicken and is also helping Dad & Erin grow a garden at Grandpa Phelps house. Shane dropped off the very first egg that her chicken layed and this is her eating it for breakfast... she doesn't like the eggs, but sure has a fun time with all of it! She has brought home squash and lettuce to share with us and they are awesome!!!

Kaitlins newest nail color... we do our nails & toes every Saturday and it's fun!

Emmy on her horsey... she's getting so big!

Here's our toes... it is always fun to spend time with the girls doing girly stuff! Daron asks EVERY time if I'll paint his toes too, what the heck?!?!?!?! I assure him EVERY time that it's NEVER gonna happen!

Emmy enjoying a chocolate chip cookie... what a mess! Kitchen sink baths are the best!

6th File, 6th Picture...

Okay Jade... So, here's K&D CRACKING UP during a FHE dessert of Ice Cream Sundaes. We had the Snyder family over and the kids were in rare form of course! They keep us laughing... :)

(This reminds me I need to post pics. I have soooo many I've taken and not posted yet! With the summer here it's time to forget helping with all that homework and catch up on my blogging!)

Now I tag... Bekki, Jenny, Mandy, Ali, Jacque, Sarah Heinle, Katie, Grandma H., Aimee T., Candace, Chelsey, Rachel, Sydney (it's about time for some kind of update!), and anyone else who wants something to post!!!!

Never Forget...

I'm sitting here on the computer doing my grocery list (ad matching!) and Maddie walks in from having quiet time. She says she has a headache (it's part of the flu bug going around our house this week!) and I told her she should have rested during quiet time rather than watching movies in her room. She says, "but Mom I didn't watch movies the whole time, I talked to Nana too". To which I was a little taken back obviously. I asked her what Nana said and she said that Nana just listened while she talked. I asked her what she said to Nana then and the answer came back, "that she could always be with me and that I love her and miss her". I cried, of course. She does love her Nana so much and misses her. She found a picture of herself and Nan & Pop at christmas when she was about 8 months old. She said she loves that picture and the one of her and Nana at Easter later that year at 1 year old. Gone for now, but definitly not forgotten!!!

Thanks To JADE...

My youngest sis drove ALL THE WAY here on Mothers Day to deliver a sweet gift! Thank you for the YUMMY chocolate and the very thoughtful music CD. I loved the artwork on the front... very appropriate! I haven't had time to listen to it yet, but I will!!!!! I love that you thought of me and I hope that you had a fantastic Mothers Day!

Kaitlins Science Project 2009...

It's due tomorrow, and we finished it in time!!! Awesome job sweetie!!!

Daron's Poem...

Talented yes?????

Great Job Daron!!!!

My Mothers Day...

The day was awesome... even though yesterday I thought staying in my room to take the whole day off from kids and watch Desperate Housewives Seasons 2 through 4 while eating an insane amount of chocolate, was the way I'd want to go... but I'm glad I changed my mind!!! I love these kids more than ANYTHING!!! Here's a recap of my fun day...



Kevin and the kids came in and sang me a song and gave me this cute "blogger mommy" card and LOTS of candy, while I was getting ready for 8am church this morning...




The inside...



After church the kids snuck upstairs and cleaned my room and each wrote me a letter. They arranged their letters on my freshly made bed and had me come up and see...


This is from Maddie monkeygirl...

She also gave me a cute little book to add to my collection and wrote a message inside for me!

She is such a sweet girl and always works hard around here to make me happy. She was a good helper with Emmy all day, which is HUGE help!!!!
You make me sooooooo glad to be a MOMMY!

I love you Maddie...






This one is from Sweet Kaitlin...

Kaitlin went to young womens on Wednesday night and it ended up being a mother/daughter night for Mothers Day and we didn't know. So, she called me and asked me to come last minute. My hair was wet and full of conditioner, but I sucked it up, put on my favorite pink & black baseball hat and lipstick of course, and headed to the church. We played a game like the Newlywed Game where we had to answer questions about eachother and she got 7 out of 8 right about me... you go girl!!! She even knew my favorite ice cream and the high school I graduated from! We also got our picture taken and the young women framed them and gave them to the Moms at church today with a king sized snickers bar! I love you Kaitlin!!!!







And, this is from my favorite son, Daron!!!



Daron was so sweet all day and tried very hard to do everything I needed the first time and it really made my day! He always offers to do so much and I really, REALLY love you Daron!!!

Card from my man...

Kevin really stepped it up for Mothers Day and made sure it was awesome! He made me my favorite sandwich for lunch, organized nap time to be peaceful rest, cooked a fabulous dinner and watched the Celebrity Apprentice Finale with me!!!!

I would like the shop vac!

Here's a card that Oma and the kids gave me and Lauren LOVED it because it sang music...

They each PROMISED certain things and I'm making them stick to it!!!

This is also from my favorite son... He wrote this in school and I loved it!!!

This was the kids throwing out their "I love you" signs!!!!!

Thank you to my family for such a great Mothers Day 2009!!! You are all the most important people in my life and what keep me going!!! Thank you also Babe, you are my rock and I couldn't be a good Mom without you at my side supporting me and taking care of me the way you do!!!