Overheard

Sort of like our journal so we remember cute things she says. I've been so bad at keeping up with her journal I started when she was born so you can listen in on the conversations.

R: Mommy, DO NOT let my kite fly away!
M: Ok, I sure won't
R: If you do I be very mad!
M: Yes, I know
R: I mean it

R: Daddy, I don’t like humans. Do you?
D: Yeah, I like humans. You’re a human.
R: Yeah, sometimes….but sometimes I’m a girl.
D: Yeah..the best girl.
R: Yeah. (big cheesy smile)

Wherein I'm taking Reagan to bed. A NO-GO in our house. Always daddy. So leading up to the conversation, mommy is taking "R" and she is having a hysterical screaming fit because she doesn't want me. Put her on the bed.....and PUKE.....ALL OVER the new carpet, her freshly washed sheets and her clean bathed skin/clothes. Turned over to daddy for repair.
R: Daddy I puked on purpose
D: No, it was an accident Rea
R: No, daddy, I did, I puked on purpose

In the car, music comes on:
R: mommy, is this keith urban? (sad/weird that she knows this??)
M: yes it is sweetie. he's so yummy.
R: ew! mommy, we don't eat him. he's not yummy.

M: Rea, what are you doing?
R: I'm writing incident reports.
M: Ah, well what's if for?
R: Well Gabby hurt her toe
M: Geez, that's terrible
R: Yeah, can you sign this report hunny hunny
then she proceeds to comfort "gabby" for her injured toe and ask random kids if they got bit. Can you tell this happens numerous times at school)

In the midst of it all, I think, how blessed I am. In the midst of it all I think, how grateful I am. In the midst of it all, where there is so much uncertainty, so much sadness, fear, and anger; there is also so much joy, happiness, and so much pleasure. In the midst of it all, I am alive. I am healthy, I am cared for, fed, clothed and loved. I have an amazing life and I will be grateful each hour of each day for that.

A sure sign

That summer is here!

In a few days of fun...

HELLOOOOO SUMMER!! I'm in heaven. I'm a summer girl. I don't mind winter but I can't stand being cooped up in the house. Let me see sunshine and feel the UV rays on my face. Mike jokes that the only yard work I do is laying out. How can I lie? He's so right. However, this weekend I did weed a few areas to get them ready for planting flowers and veggies. That was hard work.

So I have started working just 3 days a week. Dare I say...I LOVE IT!!! Mike is wincing because with being off more I'm sure he thinks I must have to spend more...not always true though. I think :) I have Fris and Mons off. It makes for a very nice long weekend - each week. With the weather so absolutely gorgeous this weekend we sure made good use of the outdoors. Saturday we went to the zoo. Our neighbor is a "cat trainer" so she got us half off season tickets. I'm sure we'll be going there a lot this year and I won't bore you with pictures over and over again (well, maybe). Matt's family joined us and Heidi was watching Cooper so they came too. It was a little breezy and slightly chilly while we were there but then we went to Sugarhouse Park for a little picnic and it was beautiful. The kids loved the zoo and running wild in the lush, soft, green grass. I had some girlfriends over to scrapbook that night and that, my friends, is always laughter at it's best. Next came yard work and just plain enjoying the sunshine. Pulled out the firepit and roasted hot dogs and marshmellows. Reagan and I also went to the aquarium that is by our house....um, kind of boring for me in that it took 20 minutes to walk through but Reagan loved it and we had to kill some more time. She, however, wasn't too fond of the stingray that floated up and flapped water all over her. Pretty much ended our journey in that part of the building. While she napped I, um, well, what did I do.......then we went to the park and flew her $1 kite from Wal Mart. Best kite ever!! Flies up in a hurry and stays there. No crashing down or trying impossibly to get the thing up. Gotta love Wal Mart. Out comes the BBQ grill, flip flops, capris and sunglasses. Summer is here my friends so let's enjoy it.

Swingin'


Flyin' Mickey


She looks thrilled, right? (Aquarium)

Easter

The best thing about any holiday is begin surrounded by family. Cousins take the cake. Throw in a little Easter Egg Hunt in the freezing cold, play time, eating, and lots and lots of sugar. Makes for a fun-filled weekend.
A conversation between two cousins

Uh, is this all that's in this thing?


Fav item left by the Bunny - purple sparkles flip flops - all else forgotten

This would be a pile up

My Buddy Bart

Rea & Emmett (he on the other hand - no)

Tub fun with Ella

Savana & Malia

Reagan holding Baby Sawyer (and Kennedy wanting out)

Rea, Coop & Kennedy (almost impossible to get a good smiley photo of kids)

Although you can tell from the picture...this wasn't funny to someone...but it was certainly funny for me. Reagan is bathing and I'm down cleaning the kitchen. I hear this hysterical screaming and go running up there....and immediate bust up laughing and run get the camera. We've had this silly shape able soap thing from Bath & Body Works since Christmas and never has it worked. However, she would dig it out of the trash whenever I attempted to throw it away. Apparently, it had enough pressure built up from all the attempts at getting the yummy smelling blueberry stuff out, that on this fine night of bathing, it totally exploded. Soap was spraying in the air, all over the tub, the room, and especially Reagan. While I was laughing, she was crying. One man's pain is another man's pleasure. She doesn't think these pictures are funny. She doesn't even want to see them. Me, well I share them with all so we can laugh together.

It's Your Birthday

Happy Happy Birthday my handsome husband. He turns 36 today. (He's a guy...what does he care about age right? smile) Saturday we had his sister Sara and her kids, my brother Matt and family, and sister Heidi over for a little BBQ celebration. In celebration of his birthday, here are a few fun facts. He loves: all things (books, music, etc) on 80's music & hairbands, Diet Coke, his daughter, his wife and family, my chicken enchiladas, fishing, camping, hiking, and going to concerts. His favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption, ice cream-vanilla. He can mostly play the guitar, cooks wonderfully, and cleans even better. He is definately an early riser and a morning person (I am complete opposite). I love that he is a loving, funny, caring father and that after all these years (17!!) he still loves to go on dates with me, spend time alone, and talk for hours about random things. I love that he loves my family and is such an example to others. Happy Birthday Sweetie. We love you.
Cooper and Reagan "assisting" in the candle blowing. Ever since Cooper had a snake cake Reagan wanted Mike to have one too. Mike just wanted cupcakes though and I was glad I didn't have to attempt the snake. It was easy to line up the cupcakes :)

Mike's best gift....Yvette's yummy granola bars

Baby It's Cold Outside

Although Sunday was a blustery, winter of a day, this child wore her new Princess bathing suit she uncovered all day- inside. Happy and warm as can be.

First Pet

I imagine, if we would count the nights that we actually have slept through since Reagan was born....it wouldn't be very many!! She's a terrible sleeper. She was the baby that maybe catnapped a few times a day and then was up every few hours. Sometimes she will wake up every night for weeks. It's exhausting. No wonder we always have bags under out eyes. There are many things we would do different the next time around as far as trying to alleviate the baby portion of it but part of it is probably just genetics too. I'm not that great of a sleeper, neither are most in my family. So, to make sense of all that rambling....we bribed Reagan that if she slept for an ENTIRE week without waking up in the middle of the night we would get her a goldfish. Since we aren't dog people this was the next best thing! Needless to say the day we went and got the fish.....SHE SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE THING!! Yes, slept ! She woke up just as we were in the car coming home but she was able to help dad get them from the bag to the bowl. It's been 4 days and they are all still alive. I'm sure one post will have to be the "fish floating on the top drama" but for now she is doing good feeding them and talking to them to keep them happy. Oh, and their names are Nemo, Nemo and Nemo :O)

Two weekends ago I went with my sister Jessica to Island Park. We staying in a friends cabin and just got away for the weekend. We did pretty much what the first picture entails....lots and lots of scrapbooking, cardmaking, a little sewing, lots of country music videos and against Jessica's will Food TV :) It was gorgeous the first few days but Sun/Mon were cold and snowy and we were glad that we didn't get snowed in. It was a relaxing few days.

Too Cheap for Real Headphones

This picture was from last summer but I was emptying out our pictures and thought I'd post it. Isn't it great! Those are the DVD speakers in the car but this was how she preferred to listen.

Sugar Anyone???

What a blast! Saturday was Reagan's first "Tea Party" x 2. Invites went out to all her girlie friends, and the day was etched in sugar. This week was all about preparing Reagan for her first tea parties. Menu was made, decorations hung, wardrobe designed. Saturday morning was excitement and anticpation.




The munchin guests and their caretakes arrived and the party began. Tiara's were placed, the girls had "tea" accompanied by sugar cubes, and an array of munchies. They made little crafts, decorated cookies, danced to the music, and filled their sweet little veins with even more sweetness.

Kennedy, Katie, Rea, Cambree & AnnLea (Sophia and Zoe must have been running around wild?!



Kennedy

Cambree & Reagan decorating cookies


We love all of our friends and Reagan's little buddies. Thanks everyone for humoring my need to provide any and all sort of entertainment to our children.
After the date was set for Reagan's party, we received an invitation for a birthday party from one of her little buddies from school. Carly was turning three....and having a Tea Party!! Oh my. Can we do two, without a nap, and possibly a sugar crash? Sure, you are only 3 once right! So out the door our guests rushed, potty, fixing of the hair, adjusting the tutu, and we were off to another party. We arrived at Carly's house to find a cute little table all set up for tea. Cups, hats, jewelry, and tiny tiny delicate gloves. I'm in LOVE!! They ate cute sandwiches, fruit, cake, and sipped on yummy tea. Ran around like wild boys and finally......the crash. (I'll not fill you in on the terrible, cranky, crying night).

And to sum it all up...