Guy's Night Out

Today was a pretty normal day.

School, chores, run to the store.

Tonight, Tyson went out with some friends for a guy's night to go see Captain America.

And of course, this little one DIDN'T want to go bed, so we had our own mini party.
But who can resist when this cute little girl comes to me with a book in hand and smile on her face.

...and it can never be too bad of a day when there are rainbows out.

Memorial Day Parties

Today is Memorial Day.

I admit that we didn't much celebrate "Memorial Day".

We just partied.

Ward breakfast at the church.
Friends came over to play and eat lunch.
Swimming party at a friend's house.
Continuous party with friends and neighbors.
Last minute BBQ party with friends and neighbors.
S'mores and cobbler for dessert.

There was very little time spent at our house.

One of our neighbor friends decided to have a little swimming party at her house today.   It was their daughter's idea.  Unfortunately, we had a little cold spell and the swimming was rather minimal...but it didn't stop them from eating popsicles.  Tyson and I joked and laughed with the parents and decided to have a BBQ together.  The BBQ turned out to be "tell all the neighbors".  Pretty soon there were multiple grills out, a fire pit for roasting marshmallows, a dutch oven for some cobbler, and tons of fun.  We stayed up until the sun went down, then finally the party ended.

Happy Memorial Day.

Celebration at the Station

The only picture I took at the Celebration at the Station event...playing cards.

After church, a few families (the Thornes and Popes) from our ward got together and went to a special event called Celebration at the Station, right outside the WWI museum.  We sat on the grass to eat snacks and play a few games before it all began.

We honored those who served in the military, listened to patriotic music by the KC Symphony, and watched a spectacular firework show.

The kids even went to where the cannons were being shot, talked with a few men and women who had served in the military, got some ear plugs, and watched the cannons fire.

It was a wonderful event.

My New Hat

Me, giving my best fashion magazine pose. Because what good is having to take a selfie in a sun hat unless you do it in the best fashion magazine pose one can possibly do.

I bought a hat.

Correction.

Tyson bought a hat FOR me.

He's always wanted to get me a sun hat, and when it is $2 (with a coupon), who can resist.

I'm not one to like buying things like this for myself.

Tyson will always get me things like this.

I'm pretty sure he loves shopping for me WAY more than shopping for him.

That's what we did today, shopped.

Bought some shoes, groceries, and obviously...a hat.

I admit, I do like it.

My First Day Missing a Blog Post

That's how I feel about my first missed blog....*pthhbb*

Yesterday was busy with school, chores, visiting teaching, and scouts.

At the end of the day, I had a headache.

So, I didn't blog.

This is Today.

This is today.

Ate breakfast.

Got ready.

Girls read to me.

Then things got busy.

It started with me trying to figure out how to renew my passport.

Phone calls.

Phone calls.

Phone calls.

(...and the girls did "science" taught by Ms. Frizzle and her Magic School Bus on the telly.)

Post office to mail a letter.

Grocery store for a few needed items.

Library to return an overdue library book.

Sam's Club to get a passport photo and a few more groceries.

Came home.

Cleaned.

Did school.

The girls really wanted to go play with friends.

Then the storms rolled in.

Followed by tornado sirens.

Then some flooding alerts.

We've been here long enough to not be too worried, but we cautiously watch the sky.

....you know, just in case.

The girls are scared of tornadoes.

They were also worried about other things...

Leila:  "What is a tornado tears our house down and I can't have a birthday party here!"

They felt better watching a movie on my iPad in the basement.

We ate dinner.

Took tubs.

Scriptures and prayers.

Off to bed.

And the storm continues on.

Happy Day

Today was happy.  Very happy.

Library story time.

Kalidescope.

Date night with friends at Aladdin Cafe.

Happiness.

Birthday Lunch

(Kimmarie is next to me, top right is Lisa and bottom right is Sarah. Love all these women!)

A friend of mine, Kimmarie, had a birthday!

Sarah, Lisa, and I decided to take her out to lunch at one of her favorite places, Asian Buffet.

We had a wonderful time just eating and chatting.

Happy birthday Kimmarie!

An Evening with the Pratts

Today was a good day.

We were invited to the Pratt's house to have dinner and FHE tonight. Their grandpa was in town and had some connections with Tyson. So they invited us over.

We all had a great time.

Good food.

Good FHE.

Good friends.

Thanks for inviting us!

The New Trend

Perhaps this is "trendy" now with ALL kids.

Perhaps this is "trendy" with only our neighborhood kids.

Perhaps "trendy" is no longer a "trendy" word to say.

I'm obviously not up-to-date on the trends....

But all the kids around us are putting empty, smashed water bottle "engines" on their bikes so while they ride, they sound like little motorbikes riding down the street.

Eden and Leila gave in to the trend.

Elbow Greasin'

Daddy worked hard today.

Saturday is often a day Tyson likes to do projects. Play Mr. Fix-It.

Today's project: fix the broken fence gate.

I can't even say how amazing it is to be married to one so handy.

He spent many hours out there today...working, working, working.

When Tyson was little, his dad had the kids do deep cleaning on Saturdays.  It was called "Elbow Greasin".  I figure that's probably one of the reasons he gets charged on Saturday morning, ready to "get things done".  I'd like to say I'm the same....but I'm not.  My elbows are pretty rusty when it comes to deep cleaning and house maintenance.  Tyson occasionally looks at me and the kids and thinks, "Where is my army lined up with sponges and sprays in hand ready to battle the dusty baseboards, dirty doorknobs, and un-oiled wooden furniture?!"

Perhaps one day Elbow Greasin' will live again.

Airplane Rides

I've got to get in a little exercise SOMEWHERE.
Leila's more than willing to get a free airplane ride.
She even tells me where she wants to go.  Today, California.

And since I'm not good at keeping secrets...
I've got a little plane ride of my own coming in September!!!

Japan.

AHH!  I am SO excited!

I've never been before!

So many exclamation points in this post!!

I am going out with my mom, dad, and sister.  The kids are staying with their Nana and Papa.

A week and a half to roam Tokyo.  I can hardly contain my excitement!

Good Thing Kids Are Kids

Sometimes I smile and laugh with my kids.
Sometimes I think, "things are getting crazy..."
And sometimes I lose my mind.

Then I remember, they are kids.

Honestly, they are good kids.  I'm lucky to have healthy, happy (mostly), good kids.

So, I'm grateful.

Kind of Boring...

Today was kind of....boring.

I didn't even take any pictures.

School.  Chores.  Play.  Cook.  Clean.

Eden is currently grounded from for a week for throwing the biggest fit of her life.  Happened Sunday.  Today she learned how boring it is to have to be grounded while Leila's going out with friends.

The only other thing that happened today was that Paige got her THIRD tooth.  Sixteen months old and finally got tooth number three.

Her first two teeth popped out at thirteen months.  Very late teeth.

Guess that's all I got for today....

School "Rocks"!

OK, that's cheesy.

But we had a good time today learning about rocks.

I was helping a friend out today and watching her daughter all day today.  She also does homeschool. We decided to make today "rock day" since we have been studying Earth science as our monthly project.

We created "food rocks" today to show the processes of how different rocks are created.

Our igneous rocks formed by lava turning from a liquid to solid.
(or melted chocolate put into the fridge to cool)

Sedimentary is layers upon layers pushing down upon each other.
(or layers and layers of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows)

And metamorphic are different rocks combined together using heat and pressure to create a new rock.
(or lots of different candy mixed together in a rice crispy treat)

...p.s. I let them choose candy at the store....
Sour Skittles, Mike and Ike's, chocolate chips, and Oreos.
It was like Halloween in the spring.

Then to top it off.  The girls made their own Borax crystals.

They loved school today.

This is the Board the Mom Built

And buy "build" I mean that I put blue tape on a cork board and created labels for each of the kids to hang their school work.

This was one of my best (and easiest) homeschool creations.

Why it took me so long to do this, I have NO idea.

I'm pretty sure that I'm the last one on the homeshool (and possibly public school) bandwagon that has a board to show off their kids art work.....lousy mom award.

The girls have stuff that they do for school that they are so proud of...but no place to really hang it.  They each have a binder where they store their monthly project activities but they don't get to have it hanging up for at least a little while to remind them of what they learned and be proud of their school work.

This was last months board/projects.

Eden's has spelling lists, a da Vinci flying machine she created (with moving parts!), and a weaved painting of the Mona Lisa.

Leila's has a Mona Lisa, her clock she made to learn time, and some of her dinosaur pages.

Molly has a Mona Lisa (of course), her paper on animal habitats that she did at co-op, and a P for prayer pictures she did at a friend's house.  (Pretty much I just put up most anything for Molly since she doesn't have a a monthly project like the other girls.)

I think the girls enjoy showing off their work as well.

We Love Our Neighbors

When you run into neighbors on a nice Sunday family walk...

Oh...the Haderlies....

One of the several families that are leaving us this summer.

Makes me super sad to think about all our great friends that come and go from the townhomes.  Guess that's what happens when you live where lots of students live.  In and out.  In and out.  Two more years and we'll be the ones going out.

Riverside Kick-Off

To start off summer, the city of Riverside (where I live) has a kick-off party with bounce houses, the fire truck, free lunch (hot dogs, chips, and a drink), and best of all...sign ups for summer activities.

Riverside gives all kids FREE swimming lessons during June and July and they also do FREE cooking classes for kids.  I love living in Riverside.

So, of course I sign up for swimming lessons on ALL the times I am able (Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays) during both months for Eden, Leila, Molly, and a mommy and baby class with Paige.  Then the cooking classes are on Tuesdays right before swimming. It is in the building attached to the pool, so they just send the kids out when they are done with their class.

Once again, I love living in Riverside.

Second Day of Birthday

Eden didn't request much this year. 

She decided that instead of having cake, she wanted to go to Yogurtini.  I asked her if she wanted a cake AT Yogurtini and she said "No, then there will be less room in my stomach for ice cream." 

Good thinking.

And even though it was a day AFTER her birthday, she decided she wanted to open her presents while we were there.  We actually only brought one for her to open there, a little light that she can clip onto the side of her bed.

She didn't ask for much this year.  She only wanted a little reading light by her bed, yarn needles, and a picture frame.  She got everything she asked for.  Plus, Nana got her a little fairy garden she could paint with a little fairy making kit with wires, yarn hair, and flower petal skirts.  We also gave her a gift card to Hobby Lobby.  My mom got her a gift card to Michaels.  She is super excited and plans to go shopping tomorrow.

Eden is so amazing.  She is really smart and helpful. She truly cares about others and strives to do what is right.  She loves to socialize and make new friends.  She's a really great big sister with quite a lot of patience for her younger siblings.  She has an amazing imagination that can take her anywhere she wants to go and do anything she wants to do.  She loves to read, roller blade, and do crafts.

I love my Eden.

Eight Years Old

Today is Eden's birthday.

She is eight.  Crazy.

For her birthday, I let her choose a fun activity to go out and do today.  She wanted to go Deanna Rose Farmstead.  We had a lot of fun.

Bella came too...it is her birthday today as well.  Who would have thought that such great friends would share the same birthday!

The birthday girls mining for rocks.  They were both excited to get emeralds, their birth stones.

Fishing.

Leila caught a fish.

Eden caught a fish.

Molly's first pony ride.

Feeding baby goats.

Me and the birthday girl.

Leila loved feeding the baby goats.  Her motherly side came right out.

Wagon ride.

Wagon ride snuggles.

The horses, Jack and Jill.

Relaxing and chatting in the butterfly garden.

I may have gone a little picture happy.

Happy day.  Happy pictures.  Happy Birthday Eden.

(The other things that made Eden have an awesome birthday today...we got to eat do-it-yourself sushi and go to Activity Days for the first time.  She was SO thrilled to feel old enough to go to Activity Days with some of her best friends and have one day she can stay up a little later than usual.)

Molly and Paige

Molly informed me today that Paige is her best friend.

I believe it.

Paige ADORES Molly.  She loves her other sisters too.  But I think Molly realized that she can always make Paige laugh.  She just had to be her silly self and Paige thinks she's about the funniest person on the planet.  Sometimes Paige will even give a fake laugh even if she doesn't think she's funny.

They got some together time today at IKEA while Eden and Leila were at a birthday swimming party for a friend.  We needed two IKEA carts (good thing Tyson was there) and Molly insisted on holding Paige's cart and pulling her "best friend" with her everywhere.  Occasionally they would be stopped somewhere and she'd say, "Give me a high five!"  And Paige would give her best friend a high five.

They are quite a team.

I do fear a little for my future with this duo.  This could mean trouble.

But they sure are cute.

Happy 9th Anniversary

Nine years ago...

I chose a good one.

Nine years.
Four children.
Three states.
Two years undergrad.
Four years med school.
Three years residency.
One ridiculously happy marriage.

I love you, Tyson.

Mom Goes to the Dentist

Today was my lucky dentist day.

I have bad teeth.

A while back I had a tooth removed and now they are in the process of replacing it with an implant.

I sat in the dentist chair to start the work....I turned on music from my phone.

While getting my numbing shots, the first song plays.

"Its only just begun....."

How fitting.  Thank you Carpenters.

I gave a tiny chuckle as the dentist left to let the left half of my face loose feeling.

And of course I needed a picture of my numb-pucker face.

Thanks to my AWESOME friend, Michelle, for babysitting my kids for hours today and she also offered to make us dinner tomorrow as well.