The Dewey's

Devyn being Devyn

2012-01-23T18:22:00.000-08:00

She is such a silly girl! I love this little lady!!!!

New hair style

2012-01-23T18:20:00.000-08:00

I decided to get bangs again. It has been fun although in the mornings they really look awesome!

Leyton's 5

2012-01-23T18:13:00.000-08:00

I totally remember my 5th birthday! I can remember when my bus driver picked me up for Headstart. As soon as she opened the door I proudly exclaimed that, "I am 5 today". I remember her blonde, almost shoulder length curly hair. I cannot remember birthdays before that so 5 must have been a big deal. Now Leyton has hit that milestone. What an exciting thing.

Christmas 2011

2012-01-11T21:32:00.000-08:00

What a fun Day!

Leyton turned 5

2012-01-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

We had a fun day for Leyton's birthday. My brother and his family were in town. We took the girls for a haircut then to Chuck E Cheese. Later on Leyton threw up. My brothers kids had all(all 4 of them) thrown up the night before. On this night it was Leyton then Devyn and then in the middle of the night, me! Luckily all of the fun stuff was already taken care of so I don't think Leyton even realized she was sick on her birthday.

All clean!

2012-01-11T21:27:00.000-08:00

Finally!

2012-01-11T21:23:00.000-08:00

It snowed! We are in January and are barely having our first snow storm. It was a good one but there isn't another one in the near future. Not that I miss it, I just don't want to end up having it until June. This is two months of snow that I would have had under my belt and we haven't even started yet. Never the less, the girls had a great time. It only took me 30 minutes to get everyone properly outfitted and then myself. 5 minutes into our play Devyn took off her gloves and wouldn't put them back on. I took her inside and we were done with the snow.

Devyn tagged along

2012-01-11T21:21:00.000-08:00

Todd put her in his backpack to see how she would fit. She ended up liking it so much that she didn't want to get out. Morgan kept asking me if she was really going to go on the plane with Todd like that.

Todd's trip to Tonga

2012-01-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

Todd's most recent trip was to Figi, Tonga and finally to New Zealand. Like he hasn't spent enough time there! They didn't stay in Tonga but they did have a 12 hour layover. There were 4 agents that went on this trip and one of them knew a woman who works in one of the jails who is Tongan who has a cousin that she contacted that drove them all over the entire island for the whole day. Was that a long enough, grammatically errored sentence for you all?? Anyway, this man was very kind and kept paying for all of their meals. It was probably the best way for them to see the island.

I love to see the Temple....

2011-12-04T15:33:00.000-08:00

It is a tradition, for most families I think, to visit Temple Square at Christmas time. The lights are incredible but the feelings are indescribable. There is a certain reverance and awe that I feel when I visit. Oft times it is short lived because my kids start/continue to pester each other...but just that glimpse into Heaven is enough for me. Plus, my kids are my Heaven on earth(most of the time).

Baptism day.

2011-12-04T15:26:00.000-08:00

Rieley was baptized yesterday, December 3rd. It was an incredible experience! Some family showed up and we also had a lot of really great friends that came and supported us. Of course, I cried. It was so sweet to watch and I'm a Mom. I especially loved watching the large cirlce of men with the Priesthood who surrounded her during her confirmation. The spirit was so strong and we had a great time. Afterward we had a big spaghetti dinner with family and friends. It will be a day that we will always remember.

Thanksgiving 2011/Rieley's birthday

2011-11-26T18:25:00.000-08:00

We didn't get too many pictures of this day but we definitely enjoyed it. Our good friends and neighbor invited us to spend the day with their family. It was really fun and I only had to prepare a fruit salad. The kids even participated in a "Pilgrim production". Thank you, Chris and Lani!

8 is great!!!

2011-11-26T18:19:00.000-08:00

The party is finally over! One less thing to plan for. We did a "minute to win it" type of party and it turned out pretty easy. The girls basically entertained themselves. Rieley was really sweet....she made nice signs to help the guests feel comfortable and to avoid any confusion.

Growing up

2011-11-26T18:06:00.000-08:00

For Rieley's 8th birthday we decided to let her have her own room. I have been trying to plan for months. There are still a bunch of finishing touches that I need to do, but I did find a fun night stand/ magazine rack at D.I. for her room. I wanted to paint it blue to give a little pop of color. The day before her birthday we began the undertaking. We had to move the office out and back downstairs(not our first choice for the office, but worth it). Then we moved Rieley up and then re-arranged the girls room to accommodate one less child and one more office. It is a huge room down there. It was a ton of work and I was tired, but it was a success. Rieley feels so big and she loves having her own space.

Cinderella!

2011-11-26T18:00:00.000-08:00

Last saturday was a day of work. We have been pretty good about chores but the transition between summertime chores and schooltime chores tends to be difficult. Some days they get forgotten. Not this saturday! Infact, I made a list of extra chores along with a price tag for each. I have never seen such hard, fast work with such little complaining. I will not always pay them, but sometimes it is nice to have an incentive. They did a great job! Devyn usually helps too but in this picture she is actually hiding somewhere to poop.

Leyton's Halloween program.

2011-11-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

Now that Leyton is in pre school she can participate in her own programs. Leyton and her classmates sang us a few songs and then marched around their little table playing instruments. It was so cute!

2011-11-01T05:25:00.000-07:00

The school has a Halloween parade to show off the childrens costumes. It starts in one class and then snakes in and out of hallways and through classrooms picking up kids as it goes. All the parents can line up in the halls or in the gym to take pictures and watch. Immedietely following the 1st graders have a program.

2011-11-01T05:22:00.000-07:00

Trick or Treat?!!!!

2011-10-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween! It holds so many good memories for me. The excitement could hardly be contained when I was little. Now that the girls are getting a bit older they are getting that same excitement. They also have more input on their costumes(which isn't always a good thing for me......but I guess it is for their development and creativity, whatever). This year after watching "Hocus Pocus" it was unanimously decided that the Dewey sisters would become the Sanderson sisters. Too bad they were so scared of the movie that all three of them were in my lap! Really, I had no idea. They loved it too, though. It is a love/hate relationship. Anyway, I always like to find Morgan a costume that includes red hair. That will run out one day, but for now, it works well. So "Winnie" from Hocus Pocus was perfect...and I think it turned out quite well. I think they all turned out great! As far as Todd and I go, I came up with our outfits this afternoon. Johnny cash and June Carter. I think Todd looks pretty HOT! Maybe his guitar could be a little bigger, but you work with what you've got. We had a great time trick or treating and now have 4 giant bags of candy to sift through. Like the temptation wasn't great already!!!!!

The carving of the pumpkin.

2011-10-27T19:20:00.000-07:00

For family home evening we decided to carve our pumpkins......since we were running out of time and, it is a fun family activity. We had to hunt down some pumpkins from a farm, which was closed so we owe them some money, and we selected some great pumpkins. Morgan and Rieley got some really huge ones! I love all of these traditions that come with the holidays and I really love figuring out the ones that I want to continue(or begin) in our little family.

Pumpkin rice crispie treats

2011-10-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

We did these treats the other night to get us excited about Halloween..not that we needed any help. They taste good, it was fun and easy....which is most important. We had a great time and I ate way too many. We even have enough for another batch.

2011-10-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

2011-10-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Look at how good Devyn holds her pencil already. I was quite impressed with the way she held on her own. I'm sure you are all feeling the same way and are so glad that I posted about it.

The Dewey get together.

2011-10-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

During this whirl wind trip to Texas we spent the first day with my brother in San Antonio. Then on friday we were picked up by the my inlaws and headed towards Austin which is about an hour and some. We stopped a little on the way and didn't get to our hotel until about 4-ish. After a quick shower and a speedier blow dry, Todd and I headed back south 30 minutes to get in the car with one of his old high school buddies and then head another 15 minutes south to meet another buddy for dinner at Rudys bbq(which was only about 20 min. north of San Antonio where we started off in the first place). A little crazy in the traveling department but w managed. The food was great and the company was even better. We had a really good time! Then we drove back to Austin(45 minutes) and found that the inner door on our rooms, which were opened to make one big room, had been shut and thus locked without any way of opening it without being on the other side of the door. We were not given a key for the other room because they were booked as one room and it wasn't needed. It was late and we were tired. Devyn hadn't been sleeping well on the trip. Todd went down to the front desk for a key to the other room. Unfortunately the metal latch on the inside of the door was engaged and we couldn't open it. The lady attempted to find a special tool that they use to open it, but to no avail. She then offered u a room across the hall until the maintinance crew could assist in the morning. Too bad our luggage was locked in the room. Luckily Devyn was not. She was still on grandmas bed. While arrangements were being made and another crib was being brought up, Todd decided to use a credit card to get through the inside door. After some effort it worked and we got in. We unlocked the front door to find that it was broken and barely on its hinge....no wonder the latch had been set...so that no one would use that door until it had been fixed. We finally went to sleep. Saturday morning we headed into Austin to do some shopping. I thought that I had figured out where to go previously, but I was wrong and we made some stops and drove around but did not accomplish what I had hoped. The time was getting later and we still had to check out by 2. From Austin we headed east 30 miles to Bastrop where the wedding was taking place. It wasn't until 6:30 and we were early. Luckily the Wells love us so much that we were able to impose on their hotel room for a bit and visit. The wedding and reception were nice and it was really good to visit with Ken and Paula. At 10:30 we headed south to Alice. It took us 4 hours and I hate driving at night because I can't sleep in cars. I worry about the driver falling asleep so I have to stay awake. I was so tired!!!!!!!! I never want to do that drive again! On sunday we skipped church which wasn't originally the plan but the best idea anyone could have. We slept and then had time to get ourselves ready for the family get together at 1:00. Although it was busy we finally were in one place. Devyn was able to relax and even nap. I took a nap myself while I helped Devyn fall asleep. On monday morning we headed 2 1/2 hours back to San Antonio to catch our flight back. Both ways we had a lay over so we road on 4 planes. Devyn did great but would not sleep until the last 10 minutes both directions. I'm not sure that I can say it was a vacation, but it was fun. I'm glad to be home.

Wells wedding

2011-10-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

Devyn and Papa Ken. The other picture was taken because Devyn walked up to this little boy, whom she does not know, and held his hand. I think she wanted him to dance with her, but she just stood there for a bit. I'm going to have trouble with these girls!

Wells wedding

2011-10-04T20:22:00.000-07:00

Our purpose for the Texas trip was to attend this wedding. It was so good to see Ken and Paula! They hadn't gotten to meet Devyn yet so it was worth having to bring her along. She even folded her arms when she thought they were praying.

2011-10-04T20:19:00.000-07:00

These were during our brief Texas trip. Devyn got to join us because her ticket is still free and she's a little too young for my comfort. She was so good minus the lack of sleep and she still read her Book of Mormon every night.

The next Van Gogh

2011-10-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

This girl is a coloring machine!! I am not kidding, she LOVES to color. It is socute how she lays down and leans her head way in to the picture so that her technique will be perfect. There is definitely something there between her and a crayon...my walls have the evidence. The other girls did mark up the walls a couple of times but it was never really an issue. Oh no! Not the case here! All of our walls are scribbled. Not only the walls but the couch, the fridge, every book at arms reach, her arms, my clothes, my face! Thank heavens this is my fourth kid and I don't really care that much. I'll clean the walls when she is through....or the girls will do it during saturday chores.

Leytons first day of pre-school.

2011-10-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is about a month old but I have gotten busy and forgotten that I hadn't actually posted about her. Leyton goes to school on monday, wednesday and thursday for 2 1/2 hours. I She has been having a really great time! She's quite smart and already knows alot of basics plus she is not shy so transitioning into school has been a breeze. She also is in the same class as her sweetheart, Nate. They have alot of fun playing together. I love having three in school! What will it be like when it is every day, all day??!!

The goings on at the Dewey home.

2011-09-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

I don't know what order these pictures are going in because I post while they download and they download in crazy code so I don't see them again until I "publish post". So I would write about them but I have already forgotten what they are. They are recent though.

camping in Midway,UT

2011-09-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

This was a spurr of the moment camping trip. Swiss days was coming up in a couple of weeks in Midway, UT and I had really wanted to go. It is during labor day weekend and I knew that the camp spots were going to fill up. I tried to see things online but there wasn't very good information nor were there any pictures. When you have little kids and a baby, you can't just camp anywhere. So we decided to drive out and camp overnight and get a feel for the area. We almost didn't get a spot for this night but we lucked out...someone had left early. We were at a state park and it was pretty. Not a place I will camp again with little kids because the only flat open areas not covered in sagebrush or bushes were the concrete spots for the table, the pop up and the walkway to the bathroom. Not even dirt or grass or anything. Luckily we were spending a lot of time there. We did scout out some beautiful places that we will surely use in the future.

Back to school

2011-09-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

This post is three weeks late now, but things have been busy and I've been making so many more trips to the store because I can do it without so many kids. I love it! School has been great! The girls are loving it and tomorrow Leyton will FINALLY start pre- school. It is so hard to wait when you have siblings that have already started school. The morning of the first day was a breeze. As you can see(indicated by the clock in the background) both Rieley and Morgan were ready right away. I set their alarm for 6:00. They actually were upstairs by 6:03 but they used the restroom and I had to find the camera. I hope that school will always create this sort of reaction....yeah right!

Melanie Allred!!

2011-08-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is sort of lame but I have been trying to post a comment on your blog now for weeks and it won't work. I don't want to be the lame friend who looks all the time but never leaves a comment.....especially since I posted about that very thing in a not so nice way previously. So instead of commenting on your blog for your eyes only, I am commenting on mine for everyone else to read. Cute pictures, you look great and I do wish that we could run together.

my first 5k

2011-08-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

I have always been interested in running, but kids and life have made those thoughts...just thoughts. More recently have I had the opportunity to get something going for my self. I haven't been running long(maybe 2 months)and at first it was only 15 minutes to build up my running endurance. Plus, Todd leaves at 6 for work and if I want to go in the morning I have to do it before he leaves. The only thing was...that I had to get up at 5 which isn't too early but it is still dark here. It doesn't start to get light until 5:45-6:00. Todd leaves at 5:45 so to atleast get some time in and not have it too dark, I would run 15 minutes from 5:20-5:35-ish. It felt good but I am super paranoid and really hated running down a dark street by myself. I could just picture my story on Unsolved Mysteries or The First 48. Needless to say that my efforts were not as great as I wanted them to be...but they were still happening. Luckily for me and unluckily for any criminal who had other ideas, my friends had been running early mornings for quite a few months now. I decided to join them when I felt that I could keep up. Most mornings I can go with them, it just depends on when someone elses husband has to leave for work. If he doesn't have to go too early then they run later so that they can sleep in. They don't invite me those days because they want to sleep....which is fine with me since they are nice to let me tag along. Anyway, they were doing a 5k in Kamas, UT, which is up the canyon a bit and invited me to do it too. I realize that 5k is not that long but I was way excited and a bit nervous too. I didn't know what to expect. It was pretty low key with probably only 30 runners, which was perfect for me. I had a great time and pushed myself a little just to get an idea of what I could do. I made it in 28:27 and since there were so few there I got 3rd place in my division. What an awesome way to leave my first race. I really loved it and hope that I will be able to squeeze in as many runs as possible.

Island Park,ID

2011-08-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Island Park,ID

2011-08-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Our awesome cabin trip.

2011-08-11T14:50:00.000-07:00

I love to camp! I love cabins even more...especially with little kids that make camping slightly difficult. Our neighbors invite us to their cabin in Island Park,ID for the weekend and we had so much fun. Luckily the daughter is our regular babysitter that the girls adore so that was a bonus.

Fish on!

2011-08-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we were able to go to Island Park,ID with our good friends the Brandleys. They are the ones who have gotten us started on fly fishing. Hence, the awesome hat that Todd is wearing. We were able to fish on two different days. The first day didn't go so well for me...I only caught a tiny, tiny fish(not the one pictured, that was another awesome catch). The next day was much better. I probably brought in 5-ish and lost about 3. It was really fun! I could do that all the time.We will definitely be planning more days out on the river.

2011-07-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

Rieley's chore has changed from the downstairs bathroom to the upstairs...along with other chores. Yesterday afternoon this is what I noticed on top of my toilet. Don't those neclaces look lovely there?! It makes me chuckle to myself at first and then I let out a deep breath and think, "one more thing to pick up!" They are still there at this moment. There are just so many other millions of things that I need to be picking up and organizing that I thought these could wait. Besides Rieley put alot of effort into that, I'm sure.

Sweat shop.

2011-07-26T05:13:00.000-07:00

We start them young in this house. For the past year or more(probably more) I have been really trying to crack down on chores. I WILL NOT be cleaning up after this whole household forever! Although, atleast it would be done the way I want it. Anyway, last summer we got into a fair routine of chores but then school started and I had a hard time trying to fit in everything. Should they miss out on play? They need time for homework. What about family time? What do you cut out? Needless to say chores became a saturday thing. So now that it is summer again, actually it is almost over already, we have a new chore routine. I made chore charts with dry erase markers. Each girl has her own chart with pictures to describe the chore. Nothing impressive but they like them. Some days are better than others but as a whole nobody plays until the chores are done. For some reason yesterday went really smooth. Everything was done by 8:45. I usually don't let them play until after 10 but they did so good that they started early. During the cleaning session Devyn wanted to be included so I gave her a dish towel and pointed her to the dishwasher. I think she spent 10 minutes there wiping. When I tried to take the cloth she yelled. I'm glad to see that atleast one thing I'm teaching them is for their benefit.

Happy Pioneer Day!

2011-07-26T05:10:00.000-07:00

I love holidays that include the flag! As a fundraiser the scouts will put up flags during certain holidays. This was one of them. It is always nice to wake up to a flag in the yard. Especially when there are flags lining the street on almost every lawn. It makes my heart swell with pride.

Ogden Pioneer days Rodeo

2011-07-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

This is a really fun rodeo that has been put on for 78 years, I think. Obviously the idea is to celebrate the pioneers and of course it takes place during the last couple of weeks of July....because Utahns celebrate the 24th of July as Pioneer Day! What a great thing to support! I never want to know what it was like to make the kinds of sacrifices that were made by the pioneers. I will always be grateful!!

We left Devyn with a babysitter and just took the older three. It was really fun! What a difference there is when the kids are a little older. It wasn't a trip filled with anxiety and fear. I could actually hang out and enjoy the festivities with the girls instead of worrying about their safety. This is a different world for me. I am a paranoid parent so being able to enjoy life a little easier is priceless. I am so glad that we left Devyn with a sitter!!!!!!

2011-07-21T21:16:00.000-07:00

New do's

2011-07-21T20:53:00.001-07:00

Rieley had already had her visit to the salon a couple of months ago. It was now Morgan and Leytons turn. Plus, school is already just around the corner. One strange and funny phenomenon about this transformation is that somehow the stylist snipped away the hatred that Leyton and Morgan feel for one another. Seriously, Leyton always tells me that she loves Rieley and that Morgan is the meanest sister. Later that night when the girls were watching a movie on their room before bed, I was walking past on my way up the stairs when I noticed Leyton sitting in Morgans lap on the floor. She wasn't even in a choke hold. Morgan was hugging her though. STRANGE! Then as I was getting them settled into bed. Morgan asked to sleep with Leyton. Morgan said; "It's just that she's so much prettier with her new hair cut!" What? Really, that's what she said! Then I realized that Leyton did have a fabulous side ponytail in her hair adorned with many colorful hair ties compliments of Morgan....and the mystery was solved. Somehow these two girls have finally bonded over Morgan doing Leytons hair and it has sealed the deal. That was two days ago and it has not worn off. Morgan talks politely to Leyton and they want to hang around eachother. They are "buddies". Occasionally I do hear Morgan remind Leyton that they are buddies so she should be cooperting with Morgans will. Manipulation or not, this house has never been so peaceful. I didn't realize how much of the problem was caused by only those two. I'm just waiting for the love drug to wear off.

2011-07-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how much older Leyton looks with her new haircut! I really love grown out ba ngs and didn't want to let Leyton get them cut but then I decided that it was time. I think that is the best part for her. She feels like her older sisters. We cut 4 or 5 inches off the bottom too and added layers. I love it! It is still long, but not too long and it is more stylish and manageable now.

Interior decorater inthe making

2011-07-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

Today one of Leytons chores is to dust the front room. Apparently she was not satisfied with how I had things set up and so she re-arranged. Normally the basket is on the bottom and the other thing is on the top(waiting for something to go with it but I am not a natural and so decorating takes time). The scriptures were on the couch because I had read them this morning(yay me!). Who knows, maybe it does look better this way. I am no one to judge.

Homemade.

2011-07-18T14:18:00.001-07:00

Yes, I made these babies. Okay, so they aren't that spectacular and the level of difficulty is -5, but I made them all by myself. I have always wanted to sew and infact purchased a sewing machine back in AZ about 4 or 5 years ago. Learning to sew, no sewing room and little kids do not mix well for me...so the sewing had to wait. Finally, I decided that I wanted to do a bold print window treatment in my office. I would have loved to buy some but everything costs so much money and if I'm going to spend the money, I have other things that I'd spend it on first. So instead I found SUPER easy directions for a valance online, I ordered the fabric, it sat on my loveseat in the office and then 5 months later I finally made two valances. Wahooooo! Watch out clothing and textiles people, I am on my way! (Either the picture was taken crooked or I hung them crooked, it doesn't matter. I intend to have Todd fix it...he was out of town when I finished and I wanted to see them hung so I did a half-butt job doing it.)

What a cheeser!

2011-07-18T14:16:00.000-07:00

Devyn is th biggest cheeser ever. She really gets sillier and sillier all the time. I love this little lady!

4th of July festivities.

2011-07-05T20:15:00.000-07:00

2011-07-05T20:13:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to stick around town and do all the local festivities. They have them going on in every town. We live in a somewhat small town so we knew that things would be on a smaller scale, but we like to support our area. There was an early breasfast at the park...we all(5 1/2 of us) ate for 15$. It was pretty good too. We had ham, eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes, milk and juice. I haven't been so full from breakfast in a long time. Then we had a parade just a block away from our house at 8:30. We met up with friends and ad a really good time. I was impressed with how good the parade was. Again, not a Macys Thanksgiving day parade, but impressive and fun....especially if you yell out the name of each float with some clapping and screaming and a "wahoooo for Clinton Dental, I love the dentist!!" like I do. We had a ton of fun! Then we headed home for nap time. I mowed the lawn while Todd edged and trimmed bushes. Then we bbq'd with our friends and neighors. Then we had another nap time in preparation for the fireworks and festivities. We headed to the park at about 6 and set up blankets. There was a free dinner there for residents which was bbq pulled turkey sandwiches, chips and cookies. There were a few booths and the kids played at the park. Because we live in a smaller area, it wasn't too crowded. The park did fill up, but it didn't feel like total chaos trying to find a place to sit. The girls loved the fireworks and then we only had a 3 minute drive home because of the traffic. I love the 4th of July!

Spittin' image

2011-07-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

It is so sweet to watch kids learn and grow as they mimmick things that we do. Today Devyn wanted to wear my flip flop through the house. She was very determined to do it. She slowly scooted one leg across the floor all the way from my bedroom, down the hallway, through the kitchen, to the stairs and back again. Every few steps she had to re-adjust but there was no stopping her.

2011-07-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

There was a man made pond near the cabin. We tried fishing but had no luck. That was okay because the 4 wheeler ride there and back made it all worth it.

Incredible views!

2011-07-03T20:35:00.000-07:00

This past friday night we went to a friends family cabin up Ogden canyon. The scenery was amazing. There were millions of green, quaking aspen trees and aspens are one of my favorites. We had a great time and I wish we could have stayed longer. I'm not a horse person...yet, but this made me want to ride one. Maybe I've been reading too many Louis L'amour novels.

2011-06-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

My flower posers! I did have to remind them that we were not taking pictures of them smelling the flowers. It is a hard habit to break.

2011-06-17T09:50:00.000-07:00

WE stayed at a nice resort called Tahiti Village resort and spa. It was clean and friendly and they had a very family friendly pool area. Almost the entire pool was only 3 ft 6 inches with one area being a beach. They also had a lazy river. The weather was perfect for hours in the water.

2011-06-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

These girls had the time of their life on this vacation. Most of it was because of the awesome pool....which I didn't get any pictures of.

2011-06-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

During our LONG walk down the strip.

2011-06-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

The resort that we stayed at had a bus that would take us to and from the strip for free. It was convenient in some ways but not in others. It only stopped in two places and only picked up at certain times. It can be difficult with tired kids and after having a longer than anticipated walk all the way down the strip. But hey, they had car seats already in the bus.

2011-06-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Before we went to Vegas, Todd and I got on retaurants.com during an 80% off sale and got some coupons for Las vegas restaurants. We had to order alot of food to reach the criteria, but we were all still able to save some money. Aren't we so smart?! Sure.

Amusement park Vegas style

2011-06-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

This was at the amusement park inside Circus Circus. Originally I had not planned on going there but since it happened anyway...we won't talk about how, I was pleasantly surprised. The price for adults is not great but luckily it was set up like a carnival. I could still go inside and take the girls around to their rides without having to pay for myself. It worked out well in the end and the girls had sooooooo much fun!! It had plenty of fun rides for their age.

2011-06-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

I love Devyns curly BROWN hair!! Since we are going to Las Vegas on monday I have been making all the preparations for the trip. One of those is to have "vacation toe nails". I bought some bright nail polish just for this. THis was the first time for me to attempt Devyns nails, but suprisingly she held very still. The only issue was that she wanted to touch the pretty color. Once they dried we were safe. Her face is so silly when she knows she's doing something that the big gilrs do. She grunts and smiles and squeaks.

2011-06-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

We had some friends come and visit for the weekend. Rieley and Daniela got a hold of the camera and these are some of the pictures that came back. They made sure to tell us the story(with great animation)of a girl who was playing in a meadow and was crushed by a giant hand...while they shuffled through the pictures. Very creative.

Devyn then and now

2011-06-03T13:51:00.000-07:00

This is Devyn almost one year ago and Devyn now. My, how they change and grow so fast. She has been so sweet and fun! Right now she is learning so much and she copies everything. She even fake laughs just like Leyton. Super cute!

Sweet dreams.

2011-05-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is the quiet ending to a long, mostly fun, partially filled with tantrums, bike riding, Daddy won't let me go to the movies if I don't eat my dinner, crying, more fit throwing, lay down on the dining room floor day!!!!! Sher is still sound asleep, although now in her bed, while Todd and the other girls are at the movie. This was a much better response than the fit she would have thrown when they left without her. Tomorrow she'll be mad.

boy magnets.

2011-05-26T20:23:00.000-07:00

These four kids are like two cute little couples. They just love playing together. Ben T. is in Morgans kindergarten class and Nate is Bens little brother. One day Morgan wanted to play at Bens house and Leyton was invited to come along to avoid hurt feelings. It Natalie had only known what she was starting. Apparently, Leyton snuggled with Nate on the couch while they watched a movie. Whose kids are these?? I am not that flirty, TODD??? Do I need to be asking more questions?? So, we all know that Morgan likes to snuggle but now I have double trouble. Anyway, these cute boys just love it when they see Leyton and Morgan. Luckily they are cute and luckily they are only 5 and 6. I won't be so kind when they are 14, 15 or 25. Boys are no longer cute!

1st grade LUAU

2011-05-26T20:21:00.000-07:00

1st grade LUAU

2011-05-26T20:16:00.000-07:00

Every year the first graders learn about Hawaii and then they get to have a Luau. There was lots or color, lots of flowers and lots of fruit. Th kids kearned two different dances that they performed for te parents. They ate yummy fruit and wore their grass skirts while twirling their fire sticks. It has been really fun to be able to participate in school activities with the girls.

2011-05-26T20:11:00.000-07:00

And the climbing begins!

We start 'em young.

2011-05-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

often times the girls have chores that they have to complete(which will increase now that summer is almost here). Leytons are at a different level than Rieleys' or Morgans'. On this particular day I probably had Leyton wiping off doorknobs and walls with clorox wipes. Devyn was interested so I gave her a wipe of her own. A few minutes later this is how I found her.....wiping the floor and oven in the kitchen. How cute! She really was wiping back and forth. All I can say is: "get used to it, lady!" It was pretty cute!

2011-05-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

How can you not love this girl??? Devyn is just so fun! She is growing up so fast and w can't get enough of her. The new baby excitement just hasn't warn off yet for the girls...and Devyn is past 1. They still want to pick her up all the time and of course she never allows it.

Morgan turns 6.

2011-05-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it! Morgan is already 6 and almost graduated from kindergarten. She is so big and so perfect! Morgan had been wanting a new bike so we decided that a bike would be the perfect present. Especially since her birthday is in May and she can actually enjoy riding it. She loves it!! I know that because she tells me, but also because this is the first toy that has ever been put back into the garage without reminding. I guess she really wants to take care of it. Because of the nice weather we get to have most of her parties outside. This was actually the only day of that week that it was sunny. Whewwww! Lots of friends came and we had relay races, a pinata and cake and ice cream. A great success!

Freeze! You are under arrest!

2011-05-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

Doesn't he look so manly?! Watch out!

Mothers Day in Manti

2011-05-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

We spent Mothers Day weekend in Manti. It was really fun and I just love that town. This was us hanging out at the town park.

I love this weather!

2011-05-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Finally we are haveing more warmer days than chilly ones. AND...the days are the warmest yet this year. In the 70's!! I have been really wanting to see the bright colors that the flowers produce, but haven't planted any in our yard yet. I decided that no matter what, whether Todd has specific things in mind for each garden, I was buying some bright geraniums and I was planting them without looking back. I have absolutely NO REGRETS! The yard already makes me that much happier. I think we spent most of the day outside enjoying the scenery. Unfortunately I didn't put sunbloc on Leyton and she did get burned....while wearing her swimsuit. The beginning of the season is always the hardest. I have learned my lesson. Devyn was shaded but I did notice that she has a tiny sunburn on her hands right to her wrist crease. Now that is a farmers tan!

Morgan's kindergarten program.

2011-05-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Today was Morgan's end of the year program where the kids get to showcase all of the things that they have learned. The alphabet and the colors etc... are all learned through different songs. It is really fun to watch and made me so proud I almost cried. At first I had forgotten the camera and I was debating whether to run home or get pictures from another parent. I opted to run home and hoped that no one would steal my spot that was marked with a blanket, stroller and my purse minus my wallet. If someone took it after all of that..................there was going to be trouble. Thank heavens no one did and we were able to focus on taking dark or blury pictures. At least the event is documented, right!?

2011-05-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Two so far!! Thank you two ladies for the comments. It can get a little discouraging sometimes to put in the effort and have no one comment. I have resolved to make sure that I comment on all the blogs that I look at....as long as they have been updated. You can only make so many comments on the same post!

2011-05-05T12:04:00.000-07:00

Seriously, can't someone leave a comment???? Out of more than 200 visitors I should get atleast one. Come on!

Worlds stongest man!

2011-04-28T14:11:00.001-07:00

...and worlds best dad!

2011-04-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Do you see what I mean?? I guess you don't because this blog is backwards from how I put them in. You will understand a couple of posts down. This time Todd is the photographer doing his signature pose.

2011-04-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, what kind of photography operation are we running here??? Rieley, again, was the one behind the camera. I was glad to see that the poses improved after the first one. "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

2011-04-28T14:04:00.000-07:00

Leyton took these ones. I am guessing that she had some direction given to her from the model herself. These have "Rieley" written all over them.

2011-04-28T13:58:00.000-07:00

Rieley is the photographer here. After church she really wanted to take some pictures outside. She seems to like doing this. One really funny thing about these pictures, to me anyway, is that Todd always tells whomever he is taking a picture of to smell the flowers. Well I personally think that is sooo.....funny(sorry honey, not like I haven't told you this already!) Anyway, I think Todd must be rubbing off on to Rieley...if you can notice the one of Leyton and the flowers. I laughed really hard and silently when I saw that one.

2011-04-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

This was the only picture taken of me. Nice! It's a bummer being the one behind the camera because either you aren't in the pictures, they are pictures taken by yourself with your outstretched arms or.....your eyes are closed. Atleast the picture of the rest of my family walking to church is nice.

2011-04-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Attempting to get super fast pictures taken because we are late for church. My definition of late anyway. We still had 10 minutes, but I like to get there 15 minutes ahead of time so that we aren't rushing and we aren't searching for a seat that will fit us all together during the opening hymn. I will confess that the poses are a little.........you know.

Easter morning

2011-04-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

All holidays are fun....especially when you have 4 girls in the house! We had a very nice Easter this year. We did the usual hunt for baskets, hunt for eggs and then frantically try to get everyone all dressed up in their new Easter outfits before church. The day was even a sunny, beautiful day which was unexpected.

SO DANG CUTE!!!

2011-04-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Man, this little lady is cute! Not to mention those BROWN curls. Way to represent........someone had to. Seriously, I did all the work and I only got one brunette. We had to make our way through every other color until we got the recipe right. Not really...of course I love all the other colors...although I may be slightly partial to brown.

2011-04-23T11:56:00.000-07:00

Devyn loves to watch for "da-DA" out the window! He is her favorite for sure. Rieley lost her first front tooth about two weeks ago. She has since lost the other also and sounds funny when she talks. Morgan is my big sweetheart!

2011-04-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

These are the things that I see daily...all the little things that make life sweet! Rieley taking a sunday afternoon break, Leyton passing out wherever her head lays after a long day of play and Rieley building a house of cards(she couldn't get them to work the normal way so she decided that bending them was the way to go). I love this life!!

2011-04-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

First mow of the season.

2011-04-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Finally a perfect day to get outside. The temp ended up being in the mid 60's. I got the girls outside while I mowed our lawn and the neighbors lawn. We spent all day outside doing yard work. I even got a farmers sunburn on my arms and calves. AWESOME! AND...nothing says pretty day like Morgans hand picked ensembles!

Morgan's moving out.

2011-04-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

On a particular day last week Morgan, who has a "hot head" anyway, decided that because her Dad wouldn't take her to Chuck-e-cheese or to the pool that he was a "mean Daddy" and that she was moving in with the Reynas(our next door neighbors). To keep things from exploding(little did we know) Todd suggested calling the Reynas first and asking permission. During the call Morgan asked if she could move in. Joe Reyna told her that she would have to eat hamburgers and pizza every night. This was not helping! After a few minutes we tried to change the subject and move on to other things. Only 20 minutes later I found Morgan packing her suitcase. This was already going too far and Morgan was being stubborn. We really were hoping for Morgan to lose interest so that we wouldn't have to give her a flat out NO. Not happening. This went on for a couple hours. I even tried to explain that I would miss her so much and that she would miss seeing Devyn every day. She told me that she would come visit her. By this time things had really been built up. Under normal circumstances she can tend to be very dramatic.....now that things had gone too far we were going to have an explosion(the very thing we tried to avoid in the first place). Finally I just told her that she was not moving to the Reynas, she was not moving out and I did NOT want to hear her talk about it again! There was lots of screaming/whaling and crying. It took the rest of the evening for her to settle down. That suitcase remained packed for two more days.

Leyton learns to ride without trainers.

2011-04-04T14:04:00.000-07:00

On one of the first good days of the season Todd decided to tune up all of the bikes. Each had a flat...or two...and some still do, but we were able to get them up and running for a little while anyway. This was Leytons' year! I am not the most ambitious when it comes to setting your kids up for possible injury. Never the less, they need to learn some time. With all the appropriate gear in place, the riding began. She got it right away. What a natural! Too bad she wants to do it all the time now and I'm still not totally ready to let her be out there without me watching.

More birthday pictures.

2011-04-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

Devyn turned 1!!!

2011-04-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

I can't beleive how fast this year has gone. Devyn is now 1 year old and she just gets sweeter! We love, love, love her!

2011-03-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

This garden is no longer neat and clean. Part of it is due to some of the wind storms we have had that pushed the wood chip aside and pulled up the weed cover stuff. Last summer/fall Todd, being the yard work kind of guy that he is, set out to re-do this garden area. It looked fine before, but had white river rock throughout the top and bottom tiers. That may be nice for AZ but not for me! I live in Utah now, I want stuff that is green and inviting. Anyway, there were a few perfectly spaced tulip plants among other things that got pulled out. We like having the plants,but were going to put something new in when we could decide what exactly we wanted. Instead we made it neat and clean with wood chips for now. Well, winter ran its course and moved things around a bit causing the plants that we thought we tore out, to sprout. Instead of being more uniform the bulbs must have been cut apart and now they are growing everywhere. Today I felt bad for the struggling plants because they are literally breaking through the black covering to reach the sun light. One of the pictures was originally a bulge that I saw in the covering. I tore it open to find that large plant. So I took scissors out to give the plants some space to grow. Tomorrow is saturday and Todd plans on doing yard work because of our wonderful weather. He will be cleaning this garden up. To tell you the truth, I am so glad to see the green coming out of the ground. Infact, some of these flowers bloom pretty little flowers that have a really nice fragrance. Although they are scattered all over now with no real order, I want to keep them. I love when spring hits! It makes me feel so good and motivated. I love watching for when those tulips will blossom! Maybe Todd will take pitty on me and atleast let me have them for the season. Maybe he can just clean up all around them. They may not be uniform, but blooming colorful flowers look pretty no matter what, right?!

Like mother, like daughter

2011-03-11T11:45:00.000-08:00

While we were cruising around Salt Lake City we were taking some pictures in the car. Leyton made a silly face and then she wanted to take a picure of me doing the same.

2011-03-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

While TOdd's Mom and sister were in town we took the mandatory trip down by Temple Square. This time Todd and his Mom hit the family history building while Kerri, Leyton, Devyn and I went into the church history building where they have a childrens museum. We had a good time and were able to do some other exploring around town before we had to get back because Rieley became sick at a friends house.

Squinty eyes

2011-03-11T11:39:00.000-08:00

Devyn has been really cute! Every time I get ready to take a picture the flashing light that indicates a picture is about to be taken causes her to squint like she had something sour. It also seems to make her giggle and she reaches for the source. CUTE!

Happy 9th Anniversary!!

2011-03-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

I told Todd the other day(jokingly) that I was surprised we ever got married. He came back right away saying he's surprised we still are. Sometimes I wonder! JUST KIDDING! It has been 9 wonderful years and I am looking forward to 100 more.....then eternity(unless I change my mind, eternity is a long time, you know?!) This year we weren't prepared to celebrate. It has been busy and it kind of came up on us fast. So we just had a nice dinner at home and will plan something later. Luckily, that was an okay solution for both of us....this year anyway. I'm not going to let this be the excuse for years to come.