The Westons

Swim Lessons 2011

2011-07-05T11:07:00.006-06:00

Last week the older 3 kids finished up swim lessons. They each go for a half hour a day for 2 weeks. I saw great improvement in each of them. Bradley learned flip turns, Kylie learned how to float on her back and Ben learned how to swim with his face in the water! I'm proud of them and how much they learned. They each passed their level and have gotten a lot more comfortable in the water. Bradley has become such a proficient swimmer that I think he may be done with swim lessons and start taking diving lessons next year. Little Grant was so good for me while we were there and just ran around and played. He still has 2 more years until he gets to start swim lessons. Below are some pictures from the 2 Fridays of lessons. The first Friday, they got to show off some skills and the second Friday they get to go off the diving board and water slide.

Ben swimming

Kylie floating on her back

Bradley swimming

Ben smiling for the camera before jumping!

He did it!

Ben loved the water slide

Kylie in action

Bradley "walking" on water!

Phillippi Family Reunion/Vacation (Warning: Long Post!)

2011-07-03T18:38:00.010-06:00

At the beginning of June my parents, brothers and sisters along with their families all met down in Southern California for vacation. We left on June 2 after Dan got off work and drove to St. George for the night. The next day we drove the rest of the way to Newport Beach to the Marriott Newport Coast Villas. This is probably one of my favorite places on the planet. It is so relaxing and gorgeous. The first Saturday morning we were there, all the girls (except Melissa), got pedicures and the little girls got manicures too. It was so relaxing and the best way to start vacation! Sunday was Grant's 2nd birthday and he started the day with some presents, a bath and naptime. In the afternoon, my grandma, aunt, uncle and cousins met us at the villas for a bbq to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday and Grant's 2nd birthday. It was really special to have all the grandkids and great grandkids together to celebrate her day.
Monday was Day 1 at Disneyland. We started the day at Goofy's Kitchen for a delicious breakfast. Afterwards we went into the park. It was crowded, but the weather was perfect. We rode on everything we wanted to and the kids did great. The next day was great because it was spent by the pool relaxing. We went to Kung Fu Panda 2 that night in Downtown Disney. The older 3 kids ran into the park with Dan for a couple hours afterward to ride a few more rides.
Wednesday was Day 2 at Disneyland. We started in California Adventure and ran over to Disneyland in the afternoon to ride the new Star Tours ride. Ben's face was even put up on the screen on the ride. He was so excited! That night we had a picnic and watched World of Color. That was such an incredible show!
Thursday was spent shopping and swimming. The boys went to see a movie that night while the kids and moms made smores at the fire pit. We were supposed to leave on Friday morning, but we begged and pleaded and my dad got us all one more night. We did have to cram into 1 villa which was fun, like camping, but it was probably the most fun and relaxing of the trip. We went to Balboa for lunch and to lay on the beach. It was a great way to end the trip!! Thanks mom and dad!

Kylie's Dance Recital

2011-07-03T17:58:00.003-06:00

Kylie took a break from gymnastics this year to try dance. She liked it, but told me she was ready to go back to gymnastics. She just had her recital and she was so cute and did such a good job! She was so excited to get flowers after the recital. I'm glad she was willing to try new things and learn what she likes and is good at.

Bon Voyage, Boxxes!

2011-05-22T21:02:00.006-06:00

Our good friends, the Boxxes, are moving in a couple weeks so we thought we needed to have a going away BBQ. We had the best time and if it wasn't to say to goodbye, it would have been the perfect night. The weather was perfect in the high 60's and we were all able to eat out in the backyard. Everyone brought camping chairs or blankets and we had a big picnic! The final count was 37. There were hamburgers, hot dogs, homemade rootbeer, brownies and everyone contributed the salads, chips and a cake! It was so delicious!! The kids were able to jump on the trampoline, play on the playground and they even started a little football game. We brought out Dan's basketball hoop game and it was fun to watch the different competitions. It was so great to get a bunch of friends together for a chance to say goodbye to the Boxxes! We are going to miss them!

Dan manned the grill

The spread

Bradley's best friend, Peyton
(He is going to really miss him)

The tiki torches in the background kept the bugs away

Ben's Big Week

2011-05-22T19:11:00.012-06:00

Ben graduated from his 2nd year of Preschool on May 12. He did so well on his part and sang all the songs with gusto! He is such a funny little guy and it has been fun to watch him grow and learn. On May 15, Ben turned 5! He got a new bike and helmet since he had outgrown his little 12 in. bike. He also got his own pop up tent with play camping gear and Darth Vader clothes for his build-a-bear. We will also celebrate his birthday at Disneyland in a couple weeks, where he wants to buy a "real light saber"! It's hard to believe he is 5 and getting ready for kindergarten! We can't wait to see what the next 5 years brings. We love you, Ben!

Hershey Track Meet

2011-05-22T18:21:00.004-06:00

On May 3rd, Bradley competed in his first track meet. Through qualifying races at school, he was able to compete in 4 events. The 400 m, 100 m, standing long jump, and the 4x100m relay. I was able to take the little boys and we went and watched for a couple hours. Bradley did really well! He came in 3rd in his heats for both the 400 and the 100 and his relay team placed 1st! That event was later on in the day, so I missed it, but he was so excited about the win. I'm proud of him and I know that this is only the first of many track meets that I will go to in the coming years! I better keep my sun block and umbrella handy!!

Bradley and friends eating lunch in between races
(Zander, Peyton, Bradley and Isaac)

Getting ready for his first race of the day
(400 m)

Standing long jump

Easter!

2011-04-25T21:20:00.005-06:00

Easter weekend started off with a quick trip to the city wide egg hunt. We got there right before it started and 10 minutes later we were on our way home. The kids had a fun time and it is definitely part of our Easter tradition. That afternoon, Dan's brother and his family came over to visit and the kids had a blast playing with their cousins! Saturday night we dyed eggs and ironed clothes for 8:30 church! Crazy! Sunday morning the Easter bunny had visited and the kids found their baskets and some hidden eggs in the family room. We got dressed fast and took pictures in the matching clothes and amazingly we were only 10 minutes late! Easter dinner was ham, cheesy potatoes, jello, rolls and corn. I copied a cake my sister Amy had made and put my own little Easter basket twist on it. Overall, it was a fun day being together as a family and remembering the sacrifice that Christ made for us.

City egg hunt

Dying eggs

"Whatcha talking 'bout, Grant?"

Showing off the candy

Kylie's new hat

Grandma Phillippi sent new swimsuits and flip flops for Cousin camp!

Grant tried on his new suit

The torture/tradition continues with the matching clothes!

Easter basket cake with edible grass

Outdoor photo shoot

After dinner we hid the dyed eggs outside and the kids went nuts!

Kylie's room

2011-04-25T21:14:00.003-06:00

Kylie really wanted pink curtains for her birthday and we finally got them up. When her door is open the whole hallway has a pinkish hue! It looks like you're walking down the Barbie aisle at the store! I think for now that the Princess' room is complete!

Lions and Tigers and Bears...

2011-04-13T20:51:00.005-06:00

This week the kids are out of school for Spring Break and it's also Dan's last week at Infotrax. He has been able to get off a little early every day to spend time with us and today we decided to go to the zoo together. It was so fun! The weather was perfect and since not all of Utah is out of school this week, the zoo was not crowded at all. Grant loved seeing the monkeys, Ben loved the giraffe, Kylie's favorite was the bald eagle and Bradley loved the reptiles. We rode the train and carousel and by the end we were all pooped. On the way home we stopped at Ikea for a couple little things and some meatballs...yum! It was a great day!

Cute Brothers

2011-04-09T21:04:00.002-06:00

This picture just needed its own post. The boys pretend that my basket is a "hot tub" and they like to sit and relax in it. So silly, but so cute!

The Princess turns 7!

2011-04-09T20:30:00.002-06:00

Our little Kylie turned 7 on March 30th. We had a fun "cooking" birthday party for her. She invited 6 friends to come over and we had a blast making dinner and dessert. We made mini pizzas and cookie dough cupcakes. For fun, we made and decorated chef's hats out of poster board and tissue paper. My sister made the cutest aprons for the kids as a "thank you" gift. It was a busy 2 hours, but I think the kids had a lot of fun! Happy Birthday, Kylie! We are so happy she is in our family!!

The Lancers

2011-02-27T22:21:00.006-07:00

Bradley played city league basketball this year and his team was the Lancers. He had a great time and steadily improved throughout the season. He had lots of friends on the team and I was able to help out as the assistant coach. As part of the team experience, midway through the season we went to the BYU vs San Diego State game at the Marriot Center and were able to witness "the Jimmer" in action. It was a fun experience and we're looking forward to watching Bradley continue to enjoy sports.Bradley playing defense

The team at the BYU game

"The Jimmer"

The Team

February Card Group

2011-02-27T22:05:00.003-07:00

This month for card group the theme was Male Birthday. That's always tricky because a.) guys don't care about cards and b.) you can't make them frilly and cute. I found some paper I liked and I think it turned out pretty well.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-27T21:51:00.003-07:00

Dan and I celebrated Valentine's Day by going out to dinner at Outback and seeing the movie "Just Go With It" on the Saturday before. We had a great time and decided to do something fun for the kids on February 14. I used the idea I found here and we had our very own Mystery Dinner. Bradley got an ice cream sundae as part of his 1st course and the kids loved it! I set the table with a red tablecloth and candles and Kylie told me it was 'almost like a fancy restaurant!' Thanks, Kylie! We got the kids these stuffed animals and a chocolate heart from See's.

filling out their menus

The mystery menu

Answer key to menu:

Puppy love= Orange crush
Cupid's Arrow=toothpick
Love Trouble=jam
Rising Love=biscuit
Melted Hearts=spaghetti sauce
Angel's Coiffure=angel hair pasta
Kissing and Hugging=spoon
Girls Best Friend=carrots
Persuader=fork
Cold Shoulder=ice cream sundae
Heart Breaker=knife
Snuggles=napkin
Lots o' pickup lines=shredded cheese

New Years Eve 2010

2011-02-27T21:32:00.004-07:00

On December 31 we celebrated New Years Eve by staying in and being together as a family. We made personal pizzas and had rainbow chip cake for dessert. The kids stayed up until 10:00 mst to watch the countdown live from New York. We had a great and relaxing night. We're looking forward to a great 2011!

Christmas in Utah!

2011-02-27T21:05:00.005-07:00

We got to spend this last Christmas in our own home surrounded by some of our family and we had a blast! Normally we travel to CA, but this year my parents and my sister's family came to us. We went tubing, to the movies and rode on the North Pole Express through Heber Valley. We also did a lot of sledding in our own neighborhood and of course lots and lots of baking/eating! We are so grateful that our family was willing to come to us so that we could experience Christmas morning in our own house! Here are a few pictures of all the chaos...I mean fun! The following pictures are not in order, but enjoy nonetheless!

The whole gang

Santa boarded the train when we made it to the "North Pole"

Tubing

Grant in his new ride

The kids with their stockings

The aftermath

8 out of 9 grandkids in matching jammies

Silly Grandma and Grandpa

Pre Christmas Fun

2011-01-30T21:43:00.004-07:00

Before our family came for Christmas we went to Temple Square to see the lights with our friends. It has become a tradition to eat dinner at Rubio's in American Fork and then go see the lights and get some hot chocolate. It was not freezing this year and we really enjoyed walking around and seeing the sights.
December also marked a big milestone for Grant--he turned 18 months which means NURSERY!! Unfortunately he isn't nearly as excited about it as we are and hasn't stayed more than 10 minutes before he is brought to us screaming. Oh well, I know he'll go eventually!
One other tradition that we have is matching Christmas clothes. The kids are such good sports about this and I thought they looked so handsome/pretty! Here are a few random pictures from the beginning of December.

Temple Square 2010

1st day of nursery
(that smile didn't last long once we left him)

Cute kids

Bradley turns 9

2011-01-30T21:23:00.003-07:00

Bradley turned 9 years old on December 18 and since he had a big party last year, we kept it low key this year. He invited 2 friends (Jacob and Peyton) over for pizza and a sleepover. He got some great gifts including a wii game and his new cub scout book/hat/neckerchief. The boys had fun staying up late and playing computer and wii games. These boys are so tech savvy that I decided to make "computer" cupcakes. They were a big hit!

Opening presents

"computer" cupcakes

This month, Bradley also had the opportunity to go on the 3rd grade field trip to Soldier Hollow for cross country skiing. Dan was able to go as well and said that Bradley was a natural. I thought it was such a great idea to keep the kids active and experience something like that.

It's about time!

2011-01-30T20:56:00.004-07:00

Life has been busy these last couple of months and we have a lot to catch up on! In November we drove to CA to spend Thanksgiving with our families which was an adventure in itself. We got snowed in at Reno so we stopped and stayed at the Circus Circus. The kids loved it and it was a nice break from driving. We were able to see both the Westons and Phillippis and we are so grateful to our families for letting us come visit. I didn't get many pictures, but both of our parents did so you can find them here and here. We had a ton of good food and fun! At first I thought that long of a trip wasn't worth it, but I was wrong and we had a great time!

The last 150 miles on the drive back looked like this
(We only could go about 35 mph)

We made our annual trip to the Silveyville Christmas Tree farm

Halloween Weekend

2010-10-31T21:32:00.005-06:00

This week it felt like the kids wore their costumes for some event (school, dance, piano) almost every day. Ben got to wear his dragon costume to preschool for a parade and trunk or treat with the parents. Kylie wore her 'fancy witch' costume to dance and then again to school on Thursday for a Halloween parade. Bradley was a ninja and wore his costume to school and had a Halloween piano recital on Saturday. Grant was a skunk because he is definitely our 'lil stinker'! Dan dressed up for work as Giants pitcher Brian Wilson, complete with a dyed black beard. On Saturday we went to our wards trunk or treat, but ended up in the cultural hall because of rain. The rain cleared later that night and we went trick or treating with some friends around the neighborhood. It was a really fun week, but I am "Halloweened" out!! (The last couple pictures are of Ben and Grant playing with Dan's mullet wig!)

Ben's preschool class

Bradley and Kylie ready for school

Bradley and his friend Peyton in the school parade

Kylie in the school parade

"Fear the Beard"

Bradley at his piano recital

Dan and our little stinker!

The cutest trick or treaters!

Grant and Ben pretending to be rock stars

Lagoon

2010-10-31T21:21:00.004-06:00

Dan got tickets for Lagoon (a theme park) from work for the family. We decided to go in October because it would be cooler and less crowded. The kids had a lot of fun riding the rides and running all over the park. They loved getting fake tattoos and going through a trick-or-treat area. Grant was a trooper and spent most of his time watching the kids through the bars of the rides, but he was able to go on a few. It was a nice time of year to go!

Cornbelly's

2010-10-24T21:47:00.005-06:00

Instead of going to the big, red barn in Santaquin we decided to try out a corn maze and pumpkin patch in Lehi. We had a blast. There were little rides for the kids, a maze and even a pig race. It may be our new tradition!

The 1st of many...

2010-10-24T21:41:00.003-06:00

Bradley just participated in his first pinewood derby. We bought a car kit and we all worked on it together. It wasn't very fast and we learned some good lessons, but Bradley was a great sport and he is excited for next year! His car definitely looked the best, if you ask me!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2010-10-24T21:34:00.003-06:00

Life has taken precedence over blogging, but now it's time to catch up! We spent September at the soccer field. Bradley and Kylie both played this year and we were there Tuesday through Friday for 5 weeks. At first I hated it, but then I started to really enjoy being outside in the gorgeous fall weather and just relaxing for an hour while watching the kids play. Dan coached Bradley's team which made it a little crazier and because of that we didn't get any pictures of Bradley playing! :( I'm sure he'll play next year! I did get a couple pictures of Kylie and I included my schedule board to remember the insanity!

It's Ben's turn!

2010-09-10T21:33:00.003-06:00

Ben had to wait 2 1/2 weeks after Bradley and Kylie before he started preschool. He was so excited when the wait was finally over. He has Miss Tiffany again for the 2nd year and I know he is going to have a great year. Ben is getting to be such a big kid!

Labor Day Hike to the 'Y'

2010-09-10T21:21:00.004-06:00

The title pretty much tells it all. On Labor Day we took the kids on a hike up to the 'Y' in Provo. I have lived in UT for 13 years and had never done it so it was fun to experience with the kids for the first time. The hike is a little over a mile and rises over 900 feet. It was tough, but the kids were all troopers. The Y was actually a little crowded because so many Freshman wards were doing the hike as well. We had fun and the view from the top was gorgeous! It would be fun to do it again sometime, but not for awhile!

When we started we were all freezing, but it didn't take long to work up a sweat.

Grant had a sweet ride

The view from midway

This was a funny sight.
(I really don't know how someone got this up there)

View from the top

We made it!

Sitting on the 'Y'

Proof that I made it!

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-03T22:22:00.004-06:00

Bradley and Kylie both started school last week. Bradley is in 3rd grade and Kylie is in 1st grade. They both love their classes and were excited to get back. Kylie said the highlight of her first day was seeing Bradley on the playground! I'm glad these 2 are such good friends and Bradley really watches out for his little sister! The last 3 pictures are mostly for my mom to see Kylie in different outfits. She is quite the 1st grade fashionista!

Zen Ben and other summer silliness

2010-09-03T21:53:00.005-06:00

The rest of the summer was spent hanging out at home. The kids loved playing outside and Dan even slept on the trampoline with them. (They made it until 4 am when Dan was too freezing to stay out there any longer!) The next day we went on a hike up Payson canyon to the Grotto (waterfall) and then spent a few hours at Payson Lake. It was gorgeous and we had a lot of fun just relaxing while the kids played in the water. It was a fun way to end the summer! The first 2 pictures are of the boys acting silly in the front yard. We found Ben like this while people were walking by! He was cracking everyone up and Bradley got in on the action posing as the Statue of Liberty.

Mom Weston's 70th Birthday!

2010-09-03T21:41:00.003-06:00

The end of the trip we spent celebrating Mom Weston's birthday. It was a surprise birthday party and unfortunately Dan and I were very sick the day before and didn't get many pictures. Dan's parents took a lot of pictures and posted them here. It was a really fun day and the first time in a long time that all 8 siblings were together.

San Francisco Zoo and Beach

2010-09-03T21:26:00.004-06:00

While we were in CA we spent a day in San Francisco at the Zoo and the beach flying kites. It was a great day and the kids had a lot of fun. It was surprisingly cold and windy for the end of July, but we just bundled up. The rest of the time we spent swimming, shopping and eating. Not a bad vacation!

Finally a summer blog post!

2010-09-03T21:14:00.007-06:00

This summer has been crazy and now that school has started I figured it was time to start blogging again. In July the 3 older kids flew with my mom to cousin camp. She posted all about it here and they had a great time! While they were gone we painted the living room and celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary at the Melting Pot. After cousin camp was over we drove to CA and stayed for a week of vacation and to celebrate Dan's moms 70th birthday. Here are a couple pictures of the living room:

4th of July Fun!

2010-07-20T20:50:00.004-06:00

Since the 4th of July was on a Sunday we celebrated it on Saturday, July 3rd. We took the kids with some friends to go see Toy Story 3. It was such a fun movie and a great way to cool off. Afterward we went home for a bbq and the kids ran through the sprinklers. We
ended the night by setting off fireworks in front of our house. It was a great day!

Swim Lessons

2010-07-20T20:26:00.003-06:00

The kids were so excited for another year of swim lessons. This was Ben's first year and he loved every minute of it! All three kids passed and moved on to the next level. They are really becoming great swimmers. On the last day of swim lessons all the kids get to go down the water slide and jump off the diving board. They are already looking forward to next year.

Camping at Maple Bench

2010-07-09T21:48:00.005-06:00

At the end of June we went up Payson canyon with 3 other families for 2 days/nights of camping. We had so much fun and the campground was gorgeous! We went on an easy 1/2 mile hike to The Grotto which was a little waterfall. The kids had a great time and loved playing in the water. Later in the day we went to Payson Lake and let the kids swim and play. The kids got to ride in the back of our friends truck which is always the highlight of our camping trips. The best part of the trip was that it only takes 20 minutes from our front door to the campground. We feel blessed to live in such a beautiful area! Here are a few pictures that sum up our trip:

Cute boys

Dan and Grant

Ben spent most of his time like this-completely dirty!

Grant loved to crawl in the dirt and tried really hard to eat some!

Kylie and her friend

The kids on the hike to The Grotto

Take me out to the Ball Game!

2010-07-04T21:17:00.002-06:00

Kylie and Bradley just finished up a riveting season of T-ball and baseball. Kylie played for the "Red Hots" and did really well. After every hit she would look at us and wave as she ran down to first base. She was an aggressive fielder, to the point where she would push teammates out of her way to get the ball. She's looking forward to playing again next season.

Concentrating as she slugs away

She loved getting our attention during the games

Bradley played coach pitch for the Royals, and he improved a lot during the season. He is really starting to understand the rules and loves to hit. He's looking forward to playing next year when the kids pitch.

Grant loved watching the games, not usually shirtless, but this game he made a mess with some cookies.

Wasatch Back Relay

2010-07-04T21:05:00.002-06:00

The last 3 years I've run the Wasatch Back Relay from Logan, UT to Park City, UT. It's run with a team of 12 people, alternating legs all day and night until you finish the 188 miles. I had the opportunity to be the first runner this year, so I ran 21.2 miles over 3 runs. The team was sponsored by my company, so a big Thanks goes out to InfoTrax. We had a great time and were all able to finish our parts. Left to Right: Ryan, Mike, Mark, Ken, Kent, Sandra, Jeff, Curtis, Cory, Brian, Jake, Me

Kristina and the kids came up to the finish line in Park City. Bradley and Ben ran to the finish line with the team.

The older 3 waiting for us to finish up

Grant turns 1!

2010-06-14T22:37:00.007-06:00

We drove back from California on Friday, June 4th so that we could celebrate Grant's first birthday with Dan on the 5th. For his birthday I chose to have "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" theme since he crawled just like a caterpillar. It was fun to make invitations and centerpieces. We had fun with a few friends and family over for a BBQ. Grant was pretty confused as we all sang to him and did not like having cake all over him. He is such a cute kid. He has 2 little teeth on the bottom, loves to be outside and really loves to take a bath. We are so grateful he came to our family!

The invite

The Birthday Boy

The caterpillar balloons

The table

Centerpiece

Opening presents

Center of attention

He didn't like being messy

Trip to California

2010-06-14T22:13:00.004-06:00

The day after school was out the kids and I, along with my sister Melissa, drove to CA to spend some time with my family. We had so much fun hanging out, swimming and enjoying our first vacation of the summer. On Saturday, the kids went with Grandma and Grandpa to the Fiesta Days Parade. The next week my mom took us to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom (aka Marine World). The kids loved the rides and got completely soaked by a killer whale. Bradley even got picked to pet a sea lion. We had such a fun trip and we can't wait to visit again!

Grant loved being outside

The kids would go straight to the backyard when they woke up and work in their "restaurant"

Kylie and Bradley petting the pony

Bradley and Kylie on the swings at Discovery Kingdom

Grandma and Ben

The kids on another ride

This was a little drop zone and Ben's face on the way down was priceless!

Grant just hanging out

Ben got soaking wet in Thomas the Train town

Bradley petting the sea lion

Killer Whale show

After the big splash

New Car

2010-06-09T22:46:00.003-06:00

Just a quick update, the Accord served us well for the last 9 years, but it started having some trouble this week, so we decided to get something more reliable. We found a screamin deal on this 2008 Toyota Camry, so we're the proud owners of what Ben calls "Baby Blue". It's a smooth ride, has a sun roof, and the air conditioner doesn't make the car overheat! Pretty exciting stuff.

Kylie graduates from Kinder Gym

2010-05-26T21:47:00.005-06:00

After 3 years in gymnastics, Kylie has moved on to a pre-competitive team. She gets to wear a team leotard and learn routines, but she does not yet compete. She keeps getting better and better and wants to stick with it. It is fun to watch her improve and grow in the sport.

Grant and Ben loved watching their big sister!

Getting ready to go on the balance beam

Getting her medal

Kylie's Graduation

2010-05-26T21:40:00.003-06:00

On Friday, Kylie graduated from Kindergarten with a little program and ceremony. She was in a group that did a hula dance to music from "Lilo and Stitch" and did such a great job! She had a great year learning to read and write. She has come a long way and a lot of the credit goes to her teacher, Mrs. Jenkins. She is the best teacher! It was really fun to have Grandma and Grandpa Weston at the graduation as well.

Mrs. Jenkins and Kylie
The graduate!

Dan and Grant enjoying the program

Rees Carnival

2010-05-26T21:33:00.003-06:00

Every year Rees Elementary has a fundraising Carnival. We all went as a family and had a fun time. The kids always get their faces painted and play all the little games for prizes. We are already looking forward to next year!

Our little sunshine
3 little cuties

Mom and Grant

Ben turns 4!

2010-05-26T21:20:00.004-06:00

Ben turned 4 on May 15. He is such a great kid that makes us laugh everyday! He wanted to have a Mickey Mouse party and although only 2 kids could come, we still had a great time. Dan even turned the playground into the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse". His favorite gift was his new bike which he can already ride without training wheels! We love our little Benjamin!

Birthday breakfast
Ben is all ready for the party

The birthday table

The 4 year old!

Blowing out the candle

The 'clubhouse'

Preschool Graduation

2010-05-13T20:42:00.004-06:00

Ben graduated from his first year of "Just Imagine Preschool" yesterday. I feel like he was just born and then I blinked and he is doing his preschool program. His part was "Will everyone please stand for the pledge of allegiance" and then he led the audience in the pledge. He was so cute and did a great job. I am really proud of him and all that he has learned this year. He is very good at writing his name ("Benjamin" not just Ben) and knows all of his colors and shapes. He is very excited to have one more year with Miss Tiffany!

The handsome graduate

He wanted to pose all over the yard

Waiting to say his part

Lining up to get his diploma

What a ham!

Graduating

Ben with Miss Tiffany

April Card

2010-04-30T21:42:00.002-06:00

Card group this month was at my house and, as always, we had a blast. I love these girls and I am so glad that I can keep in touch with them! The theme was mother's/father's day and most of us chose Mother's Day. Let's face it, girlie cards are just more fun to make! Here is the flower pot card I made:

We have grass!

2010-04-30T21:31:00.004-06:00

The title says it all! We are so excited to have our yard in. We still have to do a fence and want to add a deck, etc., etc., but we have a huge chunk out of the way. It is so nice not to have dirt and dust dragged into the house. Before the grass was put in we spent a lot of time planting, adding mulch and finishing the play area (thanks mom and dad!). I think it looks awesome and it is a dream come true to have a big backyard where the kids can run and play!

Before
After

CoUsInS!

2010-04-30T21:12:00.005-06:00

For Spring Break Dan's sister and her family came to visit and see the sights in Utah. Between their 6 kids and our 4 it was a packed house! 7 of the boys slept in the same room and Bradley and Ben even slept in sleeping bags instead of in their beds. Grant slept in his own room and the 2 girls (or should I say princesses!) shared Kylie's room. Sunday we spent the day watching Conference, Monday we went to BYU for lunch and bowling, Tuesday we went to the Dinosaur Museum in Lehi and then Cafe Rio for dinner and Wednesday we went to Salt Lake to tour the Conference Center and Temple Square. The kids were all so well behaved and it was so much fun to have them stay with us! Tyler and Amanda-I hope you guys plan on coming back because the kids are already looking forward to next year!

The boys lined up like little sardines
The girls started out this way, but ended up sharing the bed!

Posing in front of the shark

Digging for fossils

What a cute little archeologist!

Ben riding the dinosaur

Dan and Grant just hanging out

On top of the Conference Center

Salt Lake Temple

The Fam

Easter Saturday

2010-04-30T21:04:00.004-06:00

Whew, I have a lot of catching up to do! April has been such a packed, but really fun month. This year the Easter bunny came on Friday night because the Eccles were coming to stay with us on Saturday. The kids all went looking for their baskets and it was a little trickier this year in the new house because of all the space! Bradley's was hidden behind the living room couch, Kylie's was in the oven, Ben's was in the hall closet and Grant's was in the family room. After finding the baskets, everybody ate a ton of jelly beans and chocolate and then we got ready for the cousins!

The Easter Bunny brought some funny masks
Kylie displaying her basket

Bradley found his basket

Grant found a sucker that one of the kids had dropped and I had to take a picture before I took it away!

Kylie is 6!!

2010-03-31T21:26:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Kylie turned 6 years old! I can't believe it. She is such a joy to have in our family. Kylie has a huge imagination, a big heart and a fun sense of humor. She has made a lot of progress this year in Kindergarten and is reading well by herself. Six years ago I became a mother of a daughter which gave me a pass into the world of princesses and fairytales! I love shopping in the 'pink' aisle at the toy store and feel grateful that I have a reason to! We're so glad that she is in our family.
Kylie had a luau theme birthday party complete with a sand castle cake. We played a bean bag toss game, limbo and a game with a hula hoop. We also had a tiki pinata. Kylie greeted her guests with a lei. It was a very fun day!

Dan made her a special birthday breakfast. Her favorite: ham and eggs
New bike

Opening presents

She got a couple Zhu Zhu pets with accessories

This is the 'sand castle' cake I made

Kylie with the cake

Everyone singing 'Happy Birthday'

Bean bag toss

Hula Hoop game

(The kids had to hold hands and get the hula hoop down the line without letting go)

The tiki pinata
(The basement was the perfect place for this!)

The loot

Easter duds

2010-03-31T21:21:00.003-06:00

Since Easter Sunday is General Conference we decided to dress up the kids last Sunday. Unfortunately Grant was really sick and just cried when we tried to take his pictures so these are just of the older 3. We'll try again next week!

Ben only agreed to smile nicely if I let him do a silly picture too!

Moab Trip

2010-03-28T22:16:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we went to Moab as a family to cheer on Dan in a half marathon. We decided to make a little vacation out of it and see the sights. On Friday the kids didn't have school so we drove down and went to Arches National Park. It was really beautiful and had a lot of cool hikes that we'll have to try when Grant is a little bigger. The kids loved the Balanced Rock and of course the Visitors Center. The next morning while Dan went to his race I took the kids back to see a few more sights. Afterwards we got lunch and went to wait at the finish line. It was very exciting watching all the runners come in and Bradley and Kylie tried to see how many high fives they could get. Dan did a great job! He even had enough energy to take us all to Canyonlands National Park on the way home. Unfortunately our camera ran out of batteries so we didn't get any pictures of that, but we definitely plan to go back soon!

Balanced Rock

Delicate Arch

(This is on the UT license plate)

Up close

Wolfe Cabin

Window Rock

Dan at the finish line!

Dan and his work buddies that also ran the race

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-28T22:12:00.003-06:00

The kids had a lot of fun wearing their St. Patrick's Day shirts. Bradley had already gone to school, but I did get a picture of the younger 3.

Cutie Patootie

2010-03-17T21:28:00.003-06:00

I cannot believe my baby boy is 9 months already! He is such a chubby, kissable, cute baby! He does this weird hybrid caterpillar crawl, but it doesn't stop him from getting anywhere he wants to be. At 9 months old he weighs 17 1/2 pounds and is 28 1/2 inches. He is in the 7th percentile for his weight and 68th percentile for his height. He loves to play and to be outside. He sleeps pretty well at night and is a really good baby.

He is always chewing on his fingers right now while he's teething. Poor baby!
He looks exactly like Kylie at this age.

March Card

2010-03-17T21:23:00.002-06:00

This month for card group the theme was male birthday and we decided to add an extra twist of using blue and orange. I found these stamps and card idea online and loved it. Its a slider card (the little crab and note slide back and forth). It was a fun card to do.

Blue and Gold Banquet

2010-02-23T21:57:00.004-07:00

Tonight we went with Bradley to the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. He loves scouts and I love how seriously he takes it. He has earned his Bobcat and is well on his way to earning his Wolf. Bradley had to bring a cake so we worked on it together and he won the Grand Prize! I was so happy for him. We had a fun night!

Bradley with his "campfire" cake

The family

(Grant looks really excited!)

Bradley and me

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T21:20:00.004-07:00

This past week the 3 older kids all had Valentine's Parties at school. Ben was so excited for his first ever Valentine party. He had his Valentine's all ready to go a week in advance. On Friday, we got to go out to dinner while my brother and sister-in-law babysat. We went to P.F. Changs and then did a little shopping. Dan also got me 2 dozen tulips (which I love) and tickets to see Brian Regan (the comedian) next month. We got the kids little gifts from the Disney Store and See's. We always set it out on the kitchen table and they love coming down to see it in the morning. This morning Dan made heart shaped french toast and for dessert tonight I made a brownie cheesecake. It was all so good! I included a couple of random pictures of Grant because he is just too cute!

Ready to Party
Fun gifts

Breakfast

mmmmm

Bathtime

(This kid loves to splash!)

Playtime

The little boys

Santa Claus?

2010-02-03T23:05:00.003-07:00

When Grant was in the bath tonight he kept patting his stomach and I said "Are you Santa Claus?" He cracked us up when he shook his head 'no'. He kept doing it for the video camera, but only when we asked him that question.

Growing up!

2010-01-24T19:17:00.002-07:00

Bradley and Kylie seem to growing up so fast lately. Last week, Bradley started Cub Scouts and earned another Eagle Award at school for being an excellent student. Kylie lost her first tooth and is really starting to read well. Here are a couple pictures of the big kids!

New Years

2010-01-20T22:20:00.004-07:00

On New Year's Eve we went to Nut Tree where they had face painting and other activities for the kids. We also went bowling and then had a family party at the house where we did a countdown at 9 pm because it was Midnight in New York. Grant loved blowing on the horns! We had such a great vacation and loved seeing our families!

My brother Matt and his wife Alyssa holding Grant

Ben stayed very still

(This lady was a little eccentric!)
He got a snake with snowflakes

I'm not sure what Kylie's was supposed to be, but it had a rainbow and hearts so she was happy

Bradley with his snake and snowflakes

Bowling

Cheese!

Bradley was so frustrated because he got 9 pins almost every time

My boys minus Ben

Christmas Day and Bradley's Baptism

2010-01-20T22:04:00.005-07:00

One of my favorite things about the holidays is all of the traditions. We continued another one on Christmas morning when all of the kids went into my sisters room and she read to them Luke 2. This was at 6 am, Melissa and Taylor were such good sports! I used to do this for my brothers and sisters and now I passed the torch to her to read to my kids. Afterwards we all run downstairs to open presents. This Christmas Day was especially meaningful because Bradley chose to be baptized that day. It was such a nice way to spend Christmas and really keep in mind the true meaning of the day.

Because we have so much family in Northern CA we decided to have Bradley's baptism there. He was baptized in the same font that I was. My Dad and Dan's Dad gave the Baptism and Holy Ghost talks. It was very personal and special for Bradley. After the baptism we had a nice dinner of soup, bread and dessert. Thank you to my Mom and Dan's Mom for all the work they did to put that together! I was so grateful for all the family that came and supported Bradley!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-20T21:42:00.006-07:00

On the 23rd we drove to Dan's parents and sister to spend the night. We always have such a great time with them. Kylie's cousin Paige is her age and the only girl surrounded by brothers. They are 2 peas in a pod! We could not resist the gorgeous weather so we took the kids to this great park right across the street. I loved watching them play with their cousins!

The Princesses

The 8 year olds

Ben was in his element

Grant loved his first time in a swing!

He was so happy to be out of the car!

My sister-in-laws had this great activity for the kids of decorating rice krispie treat houses. It was fun and way easier than gingerbread!

On Christmas Eve we drove back to my parents house for more fun! Every year Santa visits and the kids love it. My mom also put together a Christmas play complete with costumes. Grant was baby Jesus and he was so cute just cooing in the "manger". Afterwards the grandkids all change into matching pjs and open cousin gifts and then its off to bed. It is a really long day, but its worth it!

All the cousins with Santa
Ben's turn

Bradley as Joseph and Ben was a shepherd

Kylie was one of the "Heavenly Hosts".

(That is actually my baptism dress!)

Ben was a little crabby by this point.

Christmas Break 2009

2010-01-20T21:28:00.003-07:00

For Christmas we went to CA to spend it with family. It was such a nice break and as you can tell from the pictures it was fun to spend some of it outside! We spent the first couple of days just hanging out, shopping and getting ready for Christmas. My parents took the kids to the park while Dan and I got some last minute gifts. We also kept up a 20 year long tradition of going to Silveyville Christmas Tree Farm to pick out a tree (or 2) for the kids to decorate. Afterwards we always go out to dinner at Chevy's (yum!).

Grandma and Grandpa let Ben pick out a tree because he was sure he had the "perfect" one!

All the grandkids

Dan in his Giants jacket and my dad with his Dodgers santa hat!

New house pics

2009-12-13T22:02:00.004-07:00

On Friday we had some friends over for a Christmas cookie exchange. I decided to take pictures of the house after I cleaned for the party so that I could post them. Just to give you an idea of the layout of our house: Upstairs are the 5 bedrooms, laundry room and kids bathroom. Downstairs - living room, kitchen/family room great room, 1/2 bath.

The Christmas tree in the living room
The family room
(Normally all of the kitchen chairs are not there, it was set up for the party)

Kitchen

(The refreshments were set out)

Master bedroom

Guest/toy room

The boys room

(This room is HUGE! It has a great bay window and window seat as well!)

Lots of windows and space

Grants room

Kylie's room

The mural in Kylie's room

(These are just stickers!)

The lights at "Square Temple"

2009-12-13T21:44:00.004-07:00

We started a tradition last year of going to see the lights at Temple Square with our friends, The Boxxes. The kids were really excited because we decided to take Trax (lightrail train) into Salt Lake. Ben was especially excited to see the "Square Temple". It was pretty cold, so after a quick look around the grounds we went to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to the Garden Restaurant for some hot chocolate and dessert. Unfortunately we decided to leave right as the Jazz game ended and it took awhile to get back on the train. It was still an adventure and a great night!

Waiting for the train

(Logan, Ben, Kylie, Bradley, Peyton and Will)
Grant was all bundled up

The lights were gorgeous!

The view from the top

Kylie by the fountain outside the restaurant

November Card

2009-12-03T22:29:00.002-07:00

Last month's card theme was "thank you". I thought it would be fun to do a Christmas card so I made this little guy and stamped thank you inside. I am so grateful for this group especially now that we've moved. I love keeping in touch with all of these girls at least once a month!

Thanksgiving Week

2009-12-01T22:48:00.003-07:00

We had a fun week visiting with my parents who came out for Thanksgiving. We ate, shopped and relaxed while they were here. We even braved the Black Friday crowds and found some great deals. Earlier in the week we started Grant on rice cereal and he did ok with it. I think he wants to bypass that and go for the real food. A few days before my parents came I went to get my hair done so Dan made the kids popcorn and hot chocolate. They had a great night! I'm so grateful for Dan and the fun dad that he is! On Thanksgiving we gave Grant the Martinelli's bottle and he grabbed it and kept trying to drink from it. It was hilarious! We sat him up to the table in his bumbo and he looked so cute. We didn't take very many pictures, but we enjoyed the whole week...now to get ready for Christmas!

mmmm
Fun treats with Dad

Hittin' the bottle early ;)

Grandma and Grant

Happy 1st Thanksgiving!

Dinner with the fam

Sunday Best

2009-11-15T21:06:00.003-07:00

Today was our first day going to our new ward as a family (I stayed home with a sick Grant last week). Dan took a picture of the kids in their new church clothes. New ward means new clothes, right?! We had a great time in our ward and found out that we were just 1 of about 20 new families so we fit right in. Everyone was so gracious and welcoming! It was also nice to go to Sunday School with Dan since I've been in Primary for so long. After church, Bradley lost another tooth (he lost one on Friday) so we got a picture of the gaping hole. I asked him if all he wanted for Christmas was his two front teeth and he very seriously told me that he didn't want to waste his presents on that! He was pretty sure they would just grow in by themselves! The last shot is of Grant taking his bath. He loves bathtime, but who doesn't?

Ben's not looking and Grant was crying...yep just about right!
The big kid

aaaaaaahhhhh

Halloween Weekend

2009-11-01T20:06:00.004-07:00

Even though this week has been really crazy, we took some time out from packing to go trick or treating. The kids had a blast dressing up...Bradley was Storm Shadow (from G.I. Joe), Kylie was a cheerleader (from High School Musical), Ben was Harry Potter and Grant was a monkey. We went to our ward's Trunk or Treat at 4:00, came home and ate dinner and then went trick or treating with our friends in our new neighborhood. The kids got so much candy and had fun running from house to house. Grant did pretty well, he just fell asleep in the stroller.
Earlier in the week, the 3 older kids had Halloween parties at school. I included pictures from that as well.

Ben's Preschool class

I love the look on his face

Checking out his loot

Bradley in his school parade

(Kindergarten had the day off so Kylie wasn't in it)

I know, I know!

2009-10-28T22:41:00.002-06:00

This is probably getting old, but I'm just so excited! The house is almost done, just a few finishing touches on the outside and carpet/appliances on the inside. We close on the townhouse tomorrow. I can't believe how fast everything is going.

Disneyland - Day 2

2009-10-20T21:44:00.005-06:00

Since the kids didn't have school on Thursday or Friday we decided to go to Disneyland on Monday and Tuesday to try to beat the Utah crowds. I think a lot of people from around here had the same idea though because we saw so many UT license plates. On Day 2 we decided to start the day with a character breakfast in the park. It was so much fun and the food was so good! The characters took a lot of time with the kids posing and taking pictures which was nice. After breakfast we headed over to CA adventure to ride the rides and see the sights. Bradley loved California Screamin', Kylie loved the Tower of Terror and Ben loved the Pixar Parade. Grant loved it all! As soon as CA Adventure closed we headed straight back to Disneyland to finish out the night. 2 days, a few blisters and countless rides...it was a fun trip to the "happiest place on earth". Wednesday afternoon we drove back to my Grandma Phillippi's house and spent one more night with her before heading home on Thursday. The kids are already planning next years trip, I hope they're paying!

Kylie and Ben with Eeyore
Captain Hook

Kylie got a hug from Tigger

Minnie with the fam

Grant getting his own time with Minnie

Kylie and Jessie

Heimlich would pop up and say "Candy Corn is my favorite vegetable." The kids thought that was hilarious!

Candy Corn was used as decoration all over the park

3 cute kids!

Instead of toys, Bradley wanted to collect pins from his favorite rides. He even traded them with Disney employees around the park. Definitely taking after his grandpa!

The ladybug ride

In line for the Nemo Submarine

Mickey and Minnie in their Halloween costumes

This is the front gates, everything was just beautiful

L.A. Temple and Disneyland Day 1

2009-10-19T20:50:00.008-06:00

Last Saturday we drove to L.A. to celebrate my 30th birthday at Disneyland. We were able to stay with my Grandma that night who lives in the San Fernando Valley. On Sunday we took the kids to see the L.A. Temple since neither of us had been there before. It is really beautiful and such a peaceful sanctuary in the middle of a busy city.
Sunday night we drove to Anaheim and stayed at a hotel where my parents drove down from Northern CA to meet us. We had connecting rooms and the kids loved being able to run back and forth into Grandma and Grandpas room. On Monday (my birthday) we were up bright and early and spent the entire day until 10 pm in Disneyland. The kids did so well and no one had a meltdown or needed to go back to the hotel for a nap. Since I got in free I wore a button that said it was my birthday and all the "cast members" kept wishing me a happy birthday. It was such a fun day! I was just as excited as the kids. Here are a few pictures from the day:

The park was decorated so cute for Halloween

Waiting in line of our first ride...Snow White

This was pretty much Grants demeanor for most of the day. He did really well!

Everybody got Mickey ears with their names on the back.

(Ben's pose cracks me up!)

This is on the ship that sails around a little island

(Again, Ben's face!)

It was so fun having my parents there and they were so nice to watch the little boys so we could go on the "scary" rides.

Thunder Mountain

Bradley and Kylie went on all the big kid rides and loved it

We had lunch at my favorite Mexican Restaurant

Ben loved all the characters and even made Pooh hold his "grabber"

He loved Tigger

There was a great fireworks show at the end of the night. I love this picture of Dan, Grant and Kylie watching the show.

There were pictures projected onto Small World while the fireworks and music was going on.

This was the huge Pumpkin Mickey at the beginning of Main Street

Update

2009-10-17T18:04:00.003-06:00

I have so many posts to do about our past week, but this one is easy and quick so I thought I'd do it first. In just 9 days, our house went from the one wall garage to a 2 story house ready for stucco! It has been so exciting watching the progress. Only 2 weeks to go!

Front of house
Back of house
(you can see our mountain view)

It's real!

2009-10-07T09:08:00.004-06:00

We are building a house!! We are so excited and feel so blessed that our prayers were answered. We put our house on the market on April 1 when I was 7 months pregnant with #4. I figured that we might be out of our house before the baby was born. :) Little did I know it would take 4 months beyond that! We prayed and prayed about finding a buyer and a new home that would comfortably fit our bigger family. I thought I found the perfect home a couple times only to have them sell. As we neared the 6 month mark we lowered our price again and got 3 walk-throughs in 1 weekend. This resulted in 2 offers that we thought were low, but countered anyway. That same weekend a buyer called our agent and, after hearing that we had other offers, put an offer on our house sight unseen. It was our asking price and he didn't want any of our appliances like the other buyers did.

We were so grateful and decided to go to a local builder the next day and see what it would take to build a house. I told the builder about the model I liked and hoped to build, even though it had not yet been built in this subdivision. He told us that they had just finished the foundation/basement of this particular model because he thought it would look good in this neighborhood. It would be finished in +/- 5 weeks and we could still pick out the colors, options, etc. We fully expected to have to rent a small apartment for a couple months in between which would mean moving twice. Instead, we close on this house and then close on the new house within days! Now we are buying the house I love just a mile from this house so our kids will go to the same school and have the same friends. Not surprisingly, we will be in a different ward, but the same stake.

Here is the picture of our first wall! (the garage). To see the floorplan click on Salisbury Homes. Our floor plan is called "Hamilton".

Our Little "Punkin"

2009-10-04T14:06:00.004-06:00

On Friday Kylie went on her first Kindergarten fieldtrip to the pumpkin patch. She was really excited to take her first bus ride and even more excited to wear her new pumpkin outfit. She was able to pick out a pumpkin and play in a sandbox filled with corn. We love our little "Punkin".

Big G's haircut

2009-09-18T12:58:00.005-06:00

Grant was born with a full head of reddish hair, but as with our other kids, it started falling out and looked terrible. Dan used clippers with a 2 guard and he looks so much better! His head looks really small now, though!:) If he's anything like the other 3, his hair will grow in thicker and more even now.

Before

(Looking like a mad scientist)

After

Camping

2009-09-12T22:14:00.004-06:00

The kids have really wanted to go camping, but with the arrival of Grant we haven't had a chance. Kristina was willing to chill with Grant and I took the older 3 kids. We packed up really quick after their soccer games and headed up Spanish Fork canyon. The kids were done packing and ready to go.
Bradley started a scary story, then Kylie and Ben had to add to it. It was pretty funny to see them hold their flashlights up while they spoke.

We had this crazy huge spider walk up while we were making smores. The thing was easily the size of a tarantula and the kids were freaking out.

Everyone helped clean up and take down camp. It was a fun Friday night.

Last but not least

2009-09-09T13:34:00.003-06:00

Ben finally started Preschool today! The kids have been in school for a couple of weeks now and he has been itching to go. He woke up this morning and got all of this school clothes on, including his backpack. Unfortunately, he has afternoon preschool so he had quite a wait. He looked so handsome in his new clothes and he couldn't have been more excited! I walked him in to his classroom and when it was time for me to leave he stood up like he was coming with me, but I told him I'd be back and he seemed ok with that. I know he'll have a great time, I just hope he keeps his clothes on!!

What a grown up kid!
He loves his monster backpack

Miss Tiffany

(I've heard such great things about her!)

Surprise!

2009-08-28T22:14:00.002-06:00

The other day the Elders Quorum President, Tyler, came over to the house to talk to Dan. We had sent the kids upstairs to get pajamas on. We saw Ben's pajamas and underwear fly down the stairs and he followed butt naked. He jumped on the landing spread eagle and yelled, "Surprise"! Poor Tyler was surprised and we were very embarrassed! There are no pictures of this for good reason. We all had a good laugh about it!

First Day of School #2

2009-08-26T15:10:00.004-06:00

Kylie started Kindergarten today! Amazingly I didn't feel sad, just really excited for her because I knew she would have a great time. She has the same teacher that Bradley had and she is wonderful! We took a ton of pictures and I think she looks pretty darn cute. She is really excited to walk home with Bradley and the rest of the "big kids". The funny thing is that there are 2 (used to be 3) Kylie's in her class. When she was born I thought we were pretty original and even remember thinking that there is no way she would have to be Kylie W. when she went to Kindergarten! I guess a few other parents felt the same way that year. Oh well, she is definitely the cutest little Kylie!

The Kindergartner
Posing for pictures

Ready to go!

Kylie and her friend Eleanor

In front of the school

In front of her classroom

With her 2 Preschool friends

(they're all in the same class)

Kylie and Mrs. Jenkins

Bumbo Baby

2009-08-24T20:36:00.003-06:00

I recently got this chair, called The Bumbo Chair, for Grant because I have heard such great reviews about it. Its amazing how well he can sit up in it. He sits on the counter with me while I do dishes and make dinner.

Is that Bradley?

He looks like he's plotting an evil plan

We snapped this picture of him tonight. He was being so cuddly and smiley! He kept trying to talk to us and it was so cute!

1st Day of 2nd Grade

2009-08-19T11:50:00.002-06:00

This year 3 of our kids are in school, but they all start on a different day. Bradley started 2nd grade today and was very excited. We walked to school with my mom, who is in town for Education Week. Bradley looked a little nervous once he got to his class, but his teacher was so nice that I think he will be just fine. Ben has already asked me twice this morning where Bradley is and when he's coming home. Thankfully Ben starts preschool in 2 weeks and Kylie starts Kindergarten next Wednesday. Between the start of gymnastics yesterday and soccer practice tonight, we are definitely back in the swing of things for fall!

My big kid!
Bradley and his buddy, Peyton

With his new teacher

Orem Owlz

2009-08-09T19:52:00.002-06:00

Last night we went to the Orem Owlz minor league game with our friends, the Boxxes. We sat on the grass and the kids had a great time between the playground and snacking with us. The Owlz won, there was a goofy mascot marriage, and then a small fireworks show. It was fun to get out as a family before the summer ends.

Family photo

Baby Grant and Kristina
Ben with his buddy Logan (we think this is the pirate face)

Dan and Grant

Swim Lessons

2009-08-07T21:53:00.004-06:00

After 2 long weeks, swim lessons are finally over! Bradley and Kylie had swim lessons back to back so we were there for an hour, but it was nice for me because my friends' kids had lessons at the same time. It was great to have an hour a day of girl talk while the kids played and swam. Bradley and Kylie did really well. Bradley passed level 3 and Kylie passed level 2. They are both becoming really strong swimmers. Ben is ready for swim lessons next year and can hardly wait. Since today was their last day they got to jump off the diving board and go down the water slide. I was able to get a few good pictures of the day.

Bradley and his friend, Jacob

Bradley loves to do cannonballs

Showing me how he can tread water

Goofing around

Kylie posing for the camera

She loved going down the slide by herself

Getting ready to jump

Swimming to the edge with a little help from her teacher

I'm really not sure what Ben is doing

Grant was pretty unhappy and he was letting me know

Happy Pioneer Day!

2009-07-24T20:20:00.003-06:00

Anyone who lives in UT knows what a big deal July 24th is. For those of you who don't, the whole state pretty much shuts down. Spanish Fork celebrates with a parade, fireworks and the "Speedy Spaniard". This morning Dan ran the 10k and then ran the 1 mile fun run with Bradley and Kylie. It was so fun to the kids cross the finish line with big smiles! Dan did great in his race too. He finished in 49 minutes. Ben wants to do the mile run next year and I think he'll be able to. I'm so glad the kids like running at such a young age. Hopefully this will set good habits for the future.

We got there just in time to see Dan headed for the finish line
Dan with the kids just before their race

Bradley took off and ran a few minutes ahead of Dan and Kylie.

He was so excited!

Kylie loved hearing the crowd cheer as she ran down the home stretch!

Week in Review

2009-07-18T20:58:00.003-06:00

We had a few things going on this week so I thought I'd sum it all up in one post. On Wednesday I had my card group. The theme was "kid birthday" and I decided to do a tag instead of a card. I think it looks summery. Throughout the week I have also been working on redecorating our bedroom. No paint, but new bedding and accessories. This was our 10 year anniversary present to ourselves. I really love how it turned out. It is very calm and peaceful. Friday we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. It is such a beautiful temple and surrounding area. The kids were reverent and loved looking around. Ben did try to go in the baptismal font, but we got to him just in time. Saturday morning was the Children's Parade to start the Pioneer Day celebrations which will take place all week. The kids had to dress up as what they would like to be when they grow up. Bradley wore a tool belt and work gloves because he wants to be a builder. Kylie wore a smock because she wants to be an artist. Ben just went along for the ride although he'll probably be some sort of athlete. Dan took the kids swimming in the afternoon, while Grant and I took a long nap. It was a busy, but fun week.

July card
My brand new retreat

I accessorized with sand and shells

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

The "artist", the "builder" and the Ben

Funderland Fun!

2009-07-15T22:03:00.004-06:00

So the day after the blessing we were supposed to drive back to UT, but I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving yet, so we got Dan a plane ticket and the kids and I stayed another week. We went to the pool a few more times and tried out a little amusement park in Sacramento. This was our first time to Funderland and definitely not our last. It is perfect for little kids. There are only a few rides, but hardly any lines so the kids were able to ride whatever they wanted. The other thing the kids loved doing at my parents house was playing in the tree house that Bradley helped my dad build along with my brother and brother-in-law. It is such an amazing place for the kids to play. Every day they would take up some little art project to work on in the fort. The kids talk about us having one someday, but first we just need a bigger yard!

The boys on the rollercoaster

Ben was so happy that he was tall enough
Kylie on the rollercoaster

They pretty much had the train to themselves!

Thumbs up for the carousel

Grant enjoying Funderland

The tree house

Blessing Day

2009-07-15T21:44:00.003-06:00

We decided to bless Grant in California because we love having an excuse to go there and because so much of our family is there. My dad is the Bishop of the Young Single Adult ward and so Grant became the first (and hopefully only) baby to be blessed in that ward. We had a lot of family come and we were so grateful to everyone that could be there. After the blessing we all went back to my parents house for a bbq. Everyone brought side dishes to share and it was all so delicious. Grant Matthew Weston was the star of the day!

We got some funky shadows from the tree!

This was only some of the group that was there. Some left before we got a picture.

The Hostess
(Thanks, Mom!)

We set up tables under the apple tree and it was very comfortable.

More family

4th of July Festivities

2009-07-13T19:25:00.005-06:00

The 4th of July was a really relaxing and fun day. We always see a movie on the 4th and this year we went to Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. I thought the movie was pretty boring, but the kids loved it. Afterwards we went swimming and the kids had such a great time jumping off the diving board. We ended the night with a bbq at my parents house. We were all so tired that night that we ended up watching fireworks on tv. It was a great day!

At the movies

Grant's first Independence Day

Grandma and Grant

The kids loved the diving board (and pushing each other off it)

Dan and Ben chillin' in the pool

We are all doing the "Majide" sign from I Survived a Japanese Game Show

The Other S.F.

2009-07-12T22:24:00.003-06:00

On Friday, July 3rd, we went to San Francisco to ride the cable cars and go to a Giants game. It was especially fun since there were fireworks afterwards. We went with my mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law. It was so fun. We rode the cable car to Ghirardelli Square for some ice cream then walked down to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner. Afterwards we went to AT&T park for the game. It brought back a lot of memories because I went to a lot of A's and Dodger's games as a kid. The park is right on the water which makes it beautiful, but also freezing at night! We kept Grant wrapped in blankets and a sweatshirt and he did great. The park has a play area in a giant Coke bottle and the kids loved it! We all had a great time!

Waiting in line for the cable car

At the Giants game

The beautiful park

In front of the park

Back to Real Life

2009-07-12T22:08:00.003-06:00

We just got back from a relaxing vacation with family in Northern CA. The kids flew out with my mom and stayed for a week before Dan and I came out. We blessed Grant and Dan went back to work while the kids and I stayed for another week. All in all, the kids spent 3 weeks on vacation and I was there for 2. It was such a relaxing couple of weeks. I got so much help with the baby and the kids had a blast. I need to catch up on all my blogging, but first I wanted to post a few random pictures of Grant.

He has such a strong neck

(He's only 3 weeks old here)

This is a picture of Grant on his first plane ride. He slept the entire time!

This picture is funny because sometimes he starts pulling his hair so hard that he starts crying and I have to pry his hand free. Not many babies have that problem!

Summer Do's

2009-06-23T22:34:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again. Time for summer haircuts! Kylie really wanted to get her hair cut to her shoulders and I thought it would be fun. I love her long hair, but sometimes a girl just needs a change. The boys just needed their hair cleaned up and they didn't want it shaved this summer so we all went down to Fantastic Sam's. Everyone sat very still and I think they all look great!

Before
After

Grant's Birth Story

2009-06-07T11:15:00.004-06:00

I wanted to take some time to quickly journal my experiences having Grant. Right now it feels like there is no way to forget something like that, but some details are already fading (probably for the best!) Dan and I went to the hospital for my induction on Friday, June 5th. We were postponed for awhile until a bed opened up, but we were finally admitted at 9:00 am. I was started on pitocin at 9:45 and the contractions quickly started. I got an epidural around noon, but was still only dilated to 3 cm. My doctor came to break my water to speed things up at 1:30. The nurse checked me an hour later and I was fully dilated and ready to go, however my doctor was across town so I had to wait while he made his way back. That was a long wait! A little over an hour later, at about 3:45 he finally showed up and I was able to start pushing. Six minutes and 2 contractions later, Grant arrived! It was such a smooth delivery and we feel really grateful that everything went so well. We want to give a big thank you to my brother Brian and his wife Amanda for taking such good care of the kids during the day! It was so nice not to have to worry about them at all.

Grant Matthew Weston

2009-06-05T20:57:00.004-06:00

Grant Matthew Weston was born today at 3:51 PM. He weighed 8lbs 14 oz and is 19 1/2 inches long. Mom and baby are both resting well at the hospital tonight. Here are some pics from the day.

Relaxing before labor

Getting his first weigh in

Kristina helping Ben hold "Baby Gwant"

Kylie being extra cautious

Bradley and Grant

First Family Picture

Grant sleeping

Baby Update

2009-06-01T12:27:00.003-06:00

I had my 39 week appointment today and got some relatively good news. My blood pressure was up (which isn't great), but it did give me an end date. Im dilated to 2 cm and if I don't go into labor on my own in the next few days then I will be induced on Friday! I really don't want to be induced because I was with Bradley and it took 30 hours start to finish, but hopefully this little guy will come quicker. We can't wait to meet him and share pictures with all of you!

The Graduate

2009-05-31T20:07:00.004-06:00

Last week Kylie graduated from her second year in Preschool and is ready to be a Kindergartner. She is so excited about going to Bradley's school that it was hard to be sad that she is growing up so fast. For graduation all the kids performed songs they had learned this year. She did so well and kept waving at us. She is not shy at all! The next day she finished another year of gymnastics. All the girls performed the skills that they had learned and she has definitely come a long way. My favorite was when she did the balance beam. To steady herself she would grab the girl in front of her. We were cracking up! Gymnastics has been so great for her and she wants to continue next year so we might have a little Shawn Johnson on our hands.

Preschool Graduation

Kylie waiting for her turn with her coach

(I don't know why the pictures came out so dark)

Balance beam routine

Posing on the balance beam

(she is 2nd in line)

Getting her trophy

Kylie and her friend Eleanor

(They went to both Preschool and gymnastics together)