Mr. Tato head!!

Hooray! Today is the day that Derek finally reaped his reward of Mr. Potato Head (Mr. Tato head as he says). We've been bribing him for a couple weeks now to go poo-poo on the potty. Every time he went, he got to put marbles in the jar, and once the jar was full he got to have his toy. It's been such a great motivator for him. Yay for potty trained boys!

Here he is experimenting with all the parts. It was hillarious to watch him when I'd stick the arm out of the head and the tongue where the eyes go. He didn't understand it!
He thought he should try on the glasses! I'm so grateful to have Derek! He is such a fun loving boy!

Family!

The best thing about funerals is seeing family! My Uncle's dad just passed away, so most of our family went to show our support to him. In addition my folks came up for a day from Phoenix. I love seeing my family.

Here I am w/ my 2nd oldest sister Christine & Hailey.
my niece Rachel, brother Steve & Hailey
A bigger portion of the group :)

Jenny (my SIL) w/ Jon on lap, my Mom w/ Eli on lap, Steve w/ Rachel & Hailey

Eli-bug! I couldn't resist posting this - aren't those cheeks HUGE! I just love them - and him! I love all my nieces & nephews, they are so much fun.

Anyway, although funerals are no fun, they are one occasion that always brings family together. I was able to see my Aunt and Uncle that live in Arizona, whom I haven't seen in over 4 years! I love my family so much, and adore spending time with them!

Spring Break

This week was Spring Break for Hailey, so we decided to get out & do some fun activities.

The first part of the week was cold outside, so we went to the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. Hailey & Derek both had a fun time. That place is so fun for kids to explore!
Thursday Hailey & I picked up Bethany to go get some glam hair for her 11th birthday. They both had fun at the salon, and enjoyed ice cream (& lunch) afterward at the Purple Turtle. Happy Birthday Bethany!
Friday was Zoo Day! The kids had a great time!! It was beautiful weather, and - despite the crowds - the kids really enjoyed all the animals.
(sorry for format issues...) - Amber & Cambrie came to the zoo as well. Cambrie & Derek always have fun together. Cambrie was hillarious as she would squeal with delight at all the animals - The baboon in particular! :) Amber & I always have a great time toting the kids out & about :)
Here we are awaiting our train ride. We lucked out & got the last car on the train - nice & bumpy on the tracks.

So - Overall, spring break was a success - Hailey had a nice break from school (& homework). It was really great to be able to spend so much time with my kids. Summer vacation is just right around the corner... time to gear up for more family time :)

Doesn't this always happen????

This past weekend, our family had planned to go to Colorado for my niece's baptism. However, Friday morning Derek had a fever - which only got worse as the day progressed. He wouldn't move around, just lay on the couch. He was feeling pretty bad - wouldn't eat, hardly drink. So - I took him in to the doctor, and it turned out he had strep throat. UGH! So - to match my post title - isn't this what always happens when you make plans to do something - someone gets sick? So - instead of spending our weekend with my family (who were all going to CO also), we stayed here, letting Derek recover. Fortunately, now he is no longer contagious, and is feeling better. Poor guy, as soon as his fever was gone he asked if we still got to go to Auntie Mel's house (my sister's). I had to explain that we missed the boat on this trip. He was rather disappointed. <>

It's a GIRL!!!

So today was my 20 week visit to the doctor - and yeah for a girl! Our family all voted the other night, and Dave was the only one who thought it was going to be a boy. Derek has said all along that it was a baby "sister". He was very excited for a girl.

Me in all my large-ness - yikes!
Hailey, Linda & Derek during the ultrasound.
Not that you'll be able to tell what most of this is, but - they're pictures nonetheless. I am very excited to be having another girl. It's been ages since I had a little girl - Hailey is so big now. Anyway - everyone in the fam is excited for the upcoming addition! :)

Easter!

We have had such a lovely Easter this year, as we always do. The pictures are quite out of order, but still cover all the activities.

Derek had a great time coloring easter eggs. Dave & I were so worried about him spilling the cups over that in our effort to stop him spilling, we dumped a few cups over ourselves. Ugh, dye stains. :( However, Derek loved doing the eggs, and chose to do most of them in green.
Derek helped Dave find his Easter basket, and was obviously excited about it. This is the first year he's understood baskets & eggs, it's pretty fun to catch their enthusiasm.
Hailey loved her basket too!
... ande her basket from Mimi & Papa.
Derek sported his new church shirts today, and looked adorable.
This was yesterday w/ the Easter Bunny at the egg hunt that the city sponsored.
... it was a little bright, and it started late, which for a 2 year old can be brutal.
So, we waited & tried to stay warm.
Then, the moment of truth, Dave kept coaching him on what to do - to hurry & run and grab the eggs before the other kids could. It was pretty funny!
He ate his treasures on the way home. I think he's been on a candy high for the last few days. He'll have some candy, and immediately want more, and try to sneak it. How fun to be young.

We've really enjoyed spending time with family this easter weekend. We hosted dinner this evening, and had Dave's folks & his brother & family over. There was WAY too much food. I think Dave ate 7 deviled eggs (not halves, but whole!!) He & his brother are like competitors to see who can eat the most eggs. It's a crack up. Above all, we're so grateful for the real reason of Easter - for the resurrection of Jesus, and for all that means. It's exciting to see how our children learn bits & pieces of what that is to them.

Happy Easter!

Karalee's Birthday

Karalee's birthday was a few days ago, so we packed up the kids & headed to Bajio to celebrate.

Derek & Cambrie had a great time
Ah, Karalee. She's a great friend, and I was glad we could all get together to celebrate her birthday.
Amber, Melanie, Emily, Karalee & I had a really nice time out for lunch. I always love a reason to get out with the girls.