The Kids Spring Break

After 2 weeks of spring break, Ashtyn is back to school, Jay is in the middle of spring ball and Alayna will go back to preschool tomorrow. It is crazy how our bodies have protested this break by getting sick. I was feeling like we had been healthy all season until the past week and a half. I was so squeaky singing in primary yesterday, but the kids didn't seem to mind. I think I almost have my normal voice back (probably because I don't have as many people to talk to now)

Ashtyn had a bug the first of the week and Jacob is like me at the tail end of this junk. So since we were sick, we had to put our plans of going to Idaho on hold. Hopefully we will make it up there this weekend. We were able to enjoy a lazy week here at home. Tuesday the girls and I went up skiing at Alta. It is so fun to be able to do things like that with them. I wish I would have been on the ball more this year and would have taken them more often. I guess there is still plenty of snow....

After a few hours of picking up, carrying up and chasing down these crazy kids, I was pooped!

Maybe I will should take them one at a time for the next few times.

In between snow storms we had warm beautiful days. Alayna LOVES to go and feed the sheep across the street. If we are outside she will be asking to go see the sheep. They are very friendly. You can always tell when spring is coming, because we see lots of people from our neighborhood coming to see the baby lambs. They are so cute and there are so many.

" Come here baby lamb...I wish there wasn't a fence so I could love you and hold you and {{squeeze}} you until....." Alayna's altar ego.....Elmyra (Tiny Toons)

Paulo loves the lambs too. Please notice his elizbethan collar is off, the ingrown hair removed and scabs from his eyes are mostly healed. He is so excited to get off his leash and have more room to run in Idaho :)

I love working in the yard and was able to get a little pruning and weeding done, Jay fertilized and had the lawn aerated. I am ready to start planting but I think weather wise it is still a little premature. "For example" we planted a little weeping j. maple and it was covered in snow this morning. I really hope I didn't kill it. Maybe 'Joy in the Garden' can help me.

Jay would have liked to go golfing a few more times, but practicing in the yard was second best. It is so funny to watch the girls. Ashtyn is pretty good and can hit pretty well. Alayna likes being able to do what everyone else is doing and I just stink! After whiffing it every other time I usually give up. Jay and I snuck over to the course when we were supposed to be getting a movie (Jays mom and dad were tending) and He tried to school me up. I don't whiff it as much as I used to, but I don't see this as my hobby in the near future.

Alayna taking after her mom. The ball is still on the ground after the swing. "It's o.k. Alayna, mom does that too..."

Wahoo! She hit it. Sad that a 3 yr old can have more coordination than I. Sad, but not surprising

Posing for the camera, pretending to swing.

No this is not a pose. Alayna, might get hit. The ball probably won't and the lovely snow boots I am wearing top off the ridiculous picture. I should stick to yard work and leave the whiffle ball training to the kids (Jay included)

Cookie Cutter Cuties Posted by Ashtyn

Does our hair look shorter? well we got a hair cut at cookie cutters. It was a lot of fun! I though it was so funny when my mom put Jacob in a red car (thats were you get you'er hair cut) he wasn't really geting his hair cut though. It looked like he really was driving. You get to watch a movie while you get you'er hair cut. there also are video games (for boys ) When you get
done you get a ballon. So next time you need a hair cut go to cookie cutters.

so cute!

I'm driving!

Nice hair cut!

Key Largo, Miami, Baby why don't we go.....

I have always wanted to go to one of the places listed in that Beach Boys song, so we went to Key Largo while in FL. AND of course it poured rain all morning so we went shopping. Luckily it let up in the afternoon so we could do a little playing on the beach. Jay and Ashtyn were able to go snorkeling and see some really cool fish, a lobster, crabs and other sea things. Key Largo has the only underwater state park. The visitors center was interesting, although had it not been raining, I doubt we would have gone in. There was a very grumpy attendant who did not like children. Ashtyn would not have anything to do with the snorkel in the pool, but when there was a purpose, out in the ocean looking for stuff, she loved it! Our last day there was Easter, no egg hunts, but we looked for sea shells along south beach in Miami. It was a beautiful day and hard to leave for the airport. Once at the airport, it started to pour rain again which made Jay much happier. So after a long week of running, and playing and crazy travels, I am so glad we have Ashtyns spring break to give us a vacation from our vacation.

Check out my Slide Show!

Spring Break Marathon, Orlando

For Jay's Spring Break this year, we went to FL. We took the kids to Disney World for 4 days and then down to Miami and the Keys for the last 2 days. I am such a home body and am usually ready to come home after 3 or 4 days. I love to go places, but I love coming home as much or more. I love my bed and my space. BUT while we were there we had a ton of fun. We Started out at Animal Kingdom after an all night flight. I was amazed at how well the kids did after such a flight and then a day at the park. They were such troopers.

As we were walking in Flik from bugs life came to greet us, before we even had our autograph books.

Tough to be a Bug 3D movie. I love this show! It never gets old, the stingers, the stink, the bugs across the fanny and watching a 3 year old try to catch the 3D butterfly in front of her.

The girls with Jay, I mean King Louie. ( I know cheesy joke, but since He doesn't look at the blog I had to)

So after along day of travel, greeting characters, safaris and shows, Alayna crashed as we walked out of the park.

When we walked into the Magic Kingdom they had dancers on Main Street that got Jay to do the electric slide (I think). I was so impressed he knew it and showed up some of the other dancers there. You can see how into it he got by the height of his jump in the pic.

Right as we exited the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Ahoy! there was Captain Jack pillaging a group of scallywags. Argh! from a distance you might even think it was Johnny Depp

When I rode with the girls the ride stopped right as we were ascending to our certain death into the briar patch and Alayna started to bawl and the poor kid in front of us shortly followed. It was a long 4 minutes and 57 secs before it started again. I wish I would have bought the pic going down the chute, so funny

"We are going to do what?"

And what would D.W. be without a princess or 3, It was so fun to see the look in the girls eyes as each princess autographed their books and talked to them and equally fun to see the look in the princesses eyes when they saw Jacob and he pulled out all his flirtatious moves.

The girls still are so enamored by every princess which makes these trips so worth every wait and every cent.

The famous tea cups our last ride before we left the M.K. Jay can't handle spinning, so mom and the girls spun their mad hatters off while dad a Jacob watched from another cup.

We love the character dining and this year tried the one at MGM (now Disney's Hollywood studios) with JoJos circus and Little Einstiens. HOT DOG!

The girls loved all the shows from H.S. Musical to the Little Mermaid and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse between, where the Host even danced with Alayna. Jays favorite was the Tower of Terror where he had terrified the girls the whole way up so when they got on and the elevator dropped, both started to cry. As they came off the ride I saw all three of them in tears. The girls from terror and Jays from laughing so hard at his terrified little girls. Just ask him about it and he will laugh so hard he won't even be able talk. He has told it to me three times and will not stop laughing.

When we got to our hotel the first day, the girls were so excited that they put us on the very top floor and they were just like a real princess on the balcony. I just had visions of one of them falling through the bars or Jacob jerking out of my arms as we would walk to the elevators. Alayna got very close to getting her head stuck in the bars, had we not stopped her and she pushed just a little harder to get her ears through, we would have had a very different vacation.

We weren't planning on staying a 4th day at D.W., but we had never been to Epcot, so we stayed to check it out. Being the 4th day the girls were very worn out but enjoyed seeing more princesses and other characters. Mulan even walked out with Alayna and gave her a kiss, that didn't get washed off till the next day.

I love D.W. and the magic it has with little kids and my husband. It brings out such a fun side that you really can't get any where else. Disney really knows what they're doing and how to do it

What? Easter is in March...Ooops!

I love looking at everyone's cute Easter pics. When we planned our spring break and I realized we were going to be traveling back from FL on Easter I was so sad. My bank account was glad not to buy dresses. I will have to find fun spring dresses for the girls later. Jacob did get a quasi 'Easter outfit'. Jay was disgusted by the clothes he was wearing to church, (I figured he was a baby and it didn't matter) but I found some really cute church clothes. I am still getting the hang of the whole boy thing. He looks so naked without a bow, but Jay refuses to let me even try one on. I really need to get him more hats. He looks so cute in them.
The bunny found us in Miami and brought the girls little baskets, but to Alayna's dismay we did not hunt for eggs. As for me, I am missing egg salad sandwiches with pink and blue egg whites.

This is a picture is what Jacob will look like when he is 40. He looks so old in his little sweater vest.

This one is for dad. This is what Jacob will look like when he is teaching physics at MIT.

Happy Birthday Jay!

Yes the one with the long hair is Jay about 30 years ago. He makes such a cute little girl, you can see where Alayna gets her good looks :)

Today is Jay's birthday and the girls and I are feeling a little bummed that he had to fly out to Stanford for work. They wanted to have a surprise party for him tonight. If I had been on the ball I would have had cake for breakfast. (What was I thinking? I so should have.) But instead he got zoom, which 'he' likes better than cake anyway. We went to dinner Friday night with our friends and it was so fun to catch back up in person. I love all your blogs, but when we can, I love to visit in person. Thanks for coming (and for dinner Cole, we owe you...) I did not have my camera with me but everyone else did. Thanks Tara for emailing the pics from dinner. The boys really were ridiculously giddy that night. I am glad they have such a great friend ship. Thanks to all his friends, it definitely was a great birthday for Jay.

Saturday we gave him his Birthday present (so he could take it back and get the one he really wanted) and then use it. He and the girls went to the driving range with his new golf bag. He went to take it back but then decided to keep the one I picked I was so excited:)

Happy Birthday Jay! We love you so much!

Where are you spring time?

It snowed again yesterday and it made me so sad. You know Faith Hills where are you Christmas? song from the Grinch?, Here is my version....Where are you spring time? Why can't I find you? We need to go skiing or snowmobiling for me to appreciate the snow again. Or maybe, the sun could just come out and stay out.

As I looked out my kitchen window at the chicken feather flakes and getting so irritated it was snowing I got even more bugged at the grocery sack stuck in the neighbors tree. I tried to reach it from the fence but couldn't. I need to get the rake and see if I can't get it out. You can see it in the picture below. Every time I do the dishes I watch that flap in the wind. I can't wait for the leaves on the trees to come and give us our private back yard again. (And if the bag doesn't get pulled out maybe the leaves will hide it)

Jay was in charge of snow removal at the church this week, but luckily even though there was 2-3 inches completely covering the grass the sidewalks were clear. AND we had stake conference so no one would be at our ward. Joseph B Worthlin, M Russell Ballard and John M Hunstman were the speakers at Stake Conference. I really enjoyed it, I feel so lucky to have the gospel in my life take opportunities to hear such inspiration. The theme was having our houses in order. I hope we can heed their counsel and get all aspects where they should be. Any suggestions ideas or what works for you on food storage would be greatly appreciated. We are far from our years worth and rotating is always a struggle for me. Amy - We need to get a cannery schedule going. By the time we got home from stake conference the snow had almost melted and I saw some signs of spring.

Above, daffodils and below hyacinths. Planting bulbs in the fall is one of those things that makes me giddy. You do all this work for no immediate results and then in the spring I feel like without doing anything BAM! Here are some beautiful flowers. A lot of my favorite flowers are bulbs, tulips (what my wedding bouquet was) hyacinths and bunches of daffodils.

Maybe by the time we get back from Florida the Hyacinths will be blooming. That would make my day!

I Don't Wanna Grow Up

As we were coming home from St. George sunday, out of the blue, Alayna desperately said "I don't wanna grow up!" Jay and I laughed and I thought back to our weekend and it was like the Disney commercial where the parents turn into kids. Jay doesn't have a hard time being a kid, but this weekend I was able to slip back into childhood.

I really did not want to leave for another weekend, especially since we have plans to be gone here in another week. And I pouting, feeling that the only reason to go down there was to pick Jay up. (He went to Phoenix on thursday but made a tee time in Mesquite for fri morning and I was his way home.) BUT it turned out to be a fun, relaxing let your hair down weekend. While Jay was golfing I was able to do a little shopping for a few necessities we would take to orlando. When Jay got back we went to a fun paint your own pottery store called Brush Fire. It had been a while since I had been to a store like that. What was that place in Boise we went to?....

Ashtyn made a cute plate and Alayna picked out a penguin that Jay painted. Actually Alayna did paint some of it. We should have just had Jay pick out his own to paint or he could have done one for Jacob. When they are done being fired, I will post the pics. Saturday was warm enough for a run outside. I went my usual 4 mi route. What a difference running outside in warm weather makes. We had planned to go to Taje and Kaiden's bike race, but we played a few too many rounds of guitar hero and were too late getting out....So we ended back at the outlets and found swim trunks for Jay.

We decided to take advantage of the weather and went to Aspen's school playground. Once again Jay took Alayna's toy, her giant bubble wand. I really need to just plan to get him his own when purchasing toys.

When the boys got home from their race Jay Kaiden and I had an airsoft BB gun war. Kaiden and I ganged up on Jay and totally beat him :) Nothing like inflicting pain on your loved one :) It made my day when Kaiden said "that was the BEST air soft war I have ever played!" I should have taken pics of Jays welts. We got him good!

It was Kaiden's birthday weekend and he had been given a tennis teather ball game. My right arm is soooo sore from beating EVERYONE! HAHA YA'LL ! All that teather ball as a kid really paid off. Even Kaiden, Tyrell, his friends and Jay didn't see that one coming.

We celebrated Kaidens birthday at the pool and the kids loved it. I was so bummed I had left my swim suit at home. (The one Jay just bought me for V-day:( ) Jacob is so fun to take into the water. They even had a slide, Jay and I like to take Alayna and see who can go the fastest. They all had fun. Thanks Nicole! And Happy b-day Kaiden!

Happy Jacob boy with aunt Nicole

Like father like son....Dad is sure he will have him swimming by the time we leave :)

Ashtyn and Jacob, what cute kids!

Alayna, our fish. They require life vests for 3 and under. She didn't seem to mind. She has no fear and I wasn't swimming so it worked well.

"Whew! I made it!" Ashtyn our monkey bar queen.