Families Can Be Together Forever

The 7 Days of Valentine's Day: Days 6 and 7

2012-02-13T17:01:00.004-06:00

This final activity/craft was done over 2 days. I'm actually kind of proud of it. For Family Home Evening tonight we will be having this:

It's super easy and looks cute. It's brownies with vanilla frosting, and the hearts are made out of colored sugar and a cookie cutter. Yummy and awesome-looking (if I do say so myself).

The 7 Days of Valentine's Day: Day 5

2012-02-12T20:00:00.002-06:00

We slacked off a little on Thursday and Friday, but made up for it yesterday. Our Valentine's Day activity for the day was a temple trip. We decided to go up to Chicago rather than go to St. Louis, and we were able to leave Will and Kayla with some friends so we could go by ourselves. It was wonderful. We had lots of time in the car by ourselves, and doing sealings in the temple was a fabulous way to grow closer together and celebrate how much we love each other.

The 7 Days of Valentine's Day: Day 2

2012-02-08T20:40:00.003-06:00

Today's creation: What I like to call "Heart People". I don't remember where I saw this idea, but I thought it was kind of cute. Will was a little resistant at first, and neither of them helped me as much as I would have liked, but I think they enjoyed the finished product.

The 7 Days of Valentine's Day: Day 1

2012-02-07T23:58:00.003-06:00

I decided to extend our Valentine's Day celebration to a whole week with a number of fun crafts/recipes/activities/etc. So here is our first one:

Please pay no attention to how homemade this is. I'm not a crafty person by any means, but I figured a mailbox that we can put love notes and valentines to each other in would be fun. So my thought is that we put notes in there throughout the week and then open the mailbox and read them on Valentine's Day. I'm predicting that the majority of the notes will be from me and Bill to the kids or me and Bill to each other, but I think it's a fun idea anyway. I'm excited to see what else we come up with throughout the next few days. If any of you have ideas of things you've done in the past, I'm open to suggestions!

Fun Christmas Extras

2012-01-09T11:19:00.002-06:00

I forgot to mention a couple of things in my Christmas post, which Will has reminded me of in the last couple of days. And I hope Susan doesn't mind that I stole a video from her blog :)

One fun thing that Susan did was make up little rhymes for each member of the family, then put them inside Christmas crackers. Will still gets a kick out of ours, so I thought I'd share.

Will:
There once was a young boy named Will
And one day he couldn't sit still
He leapt off the ground
And flew all around
And landed 'kersplat' on a hill.

Kayla: (I thought this one was clever. Not easy to rhyme with Kayla)
There once was a little girl Kayla
Whom Alice invited to play-la
They put on their dresses
And danced as princesses
Until the sun set on the day-la

Kristin*
I once had an in-law named Kristin
I asked her to to work in my kitchen
She chopped and she peeled
The veggies did yield
Nourishment forged by persistin'

Bill:
There once was a daddy named Bill
He had an unusual skill
He'd take out some light
And bend it just right
Using lasers to pay all the bills

*This has become somewhat of an inside joke. We go over to their house at least once a week for a play date. And while the kids play I help Susan make dinner. It seems like every time I help I'm in charge of chopping the vegetables.

Will and Alice like dancing together occasionally. I don't remember who it was, but someone taught them the proper way to dance. Maybe Will has a future in ballroom dancing?

Christmas 2011

2012-01-02T15:55:00.045-06:00

*Warning* Picture overload

We had a fabulous Christmas this year full of fun activities and lots of time with family. Bill's parents were here for about a week, then Bill's younger brother and his wife came for a couple of days. We unfortunately didn't get pictures of everything, but here are some of the highlights.

The annual decorating of the Christmas tree

Will helping me make cookies

Gingerbread houses with Bobby and Susan

Our family went with the traditional looking house

Bobby and Susan's family decided to make a stage, complete with a chorus line in the background. Knowing their daughter Alice, a stage makes perfect sense.

Acting out the Nativity on Christmas Eve

Shepherds (Alice and Will) and sheep (Kayla)

Shepherds coming to see baby Jesus, Mary (Grandma Evans) and Joseph (Robert/Susan)

Wise Men (Alice, Will and Kayla) talking with King Herod (Bobby). Bobby's face in this picture was perfect.

Wise Men bringing gifts to Jesus

Christmas Morning

Candy Cane Coffee Cake - Before

After

Waiting patiently for breakfast

Opening Presents

Uncle Jonny and Aunt Brooke

Brooke and Jonny came for a brief visit, but definitely made the most of it and quickly became very popular with all the kids. We went to the toy room near our apartment, and they spent the majority of the time spinning, flying, and tackling our kids.

Alice and Kayla burying Uncle Jonny

Will and Alice wanted to be just like Aunt Brooke and Uncle Jonny (see previous picture).

Other highlights not pictured:

-Christmas Eve dinner. Susan decided to do a "shepherd's feast." We had lentil soup, artisan bread, cantaloupe, and other yummy things.
-Christmas Day dinner. We were the hosts this time, and had ham, mashed potatoes, salad, bread, and homemade peppermint ice cream.
-Bowling. So much fun! The first round was adults versus kids. I think Will beat almost everyone. I didn't do so hot that round, but definitely made up for it the second round, which was boys versus girls.
-Spending almost a whole day with Jonny and Brooke. They were at our house for almost a whole afternoon and evening, and we had so much fun chatting, playing games, eating pizza, and they even made us some butterbeer (think Harry Potter).

Hope everyone had as wonderful a Christmas as we did!

Family Pictures 2011

2011-12-22T22:29:00.012-06:00

Sorry for the recent lack of pictures on the blog. I know most of you probably come on here to see pictures of our adorable children. And believe me, I don't blame you :) So here are some of my favorites from the family pictures we had taken back in October.

Mommy Musings: Extremely hard...but so worth it!

2011-12-14T17:05:00.003-06:00

I have a news flash for you. Ready?...Motherhood is hard! I know, you are all shocked, right? But that is something I have continually been learning in the 6+ years I have been a mother. Being a mother has been an emotional roller coaster for me, especially the last year or so. I have two VERY active and VERY energetic children, who keep me constantly thinking to myself "Can I do this? Do I have the energy/patience/willpower to make it to their high school graduations?" And for some reason, the last few months have been particularly difficult. There have been days when I haven't wanted to get out of bed, or I might have put Kayla into quiet time a little extra early so I could have more time to myself, or been grateful that Will is in school the majority of the day. That may make me sound like a bad parent, but it's the truth. But somehow I keep going, mostly because of things like this:

I was having a particularly bad day earlier this week, and I ended up sitting at the table with my head in my hands wondering if I could get through the rest of the day. Unbeknownst to me, Will started drawing a picture. He then comes over and hands it to me. But the kicker was what he said. He said "I drew this to make Mommy happy again." It makes me cry even now just remembering that moment. Bill and I looked at the picture for a minute, then Bill leans over to me and says "We really do have great kids." And I of course knew he was right. So I'm grateful that I now have this tangible reminder that my kids really do love me and that I can do this difficult job called parenting.

Mommy Musings: Tis the Season...To Shop?

2011-12-01T12:00:00.004-06:00

I'm not usually the type to get on a soapbox, but I have something on my mind today. I was driving around earlier this morning, listening to a radio station that plays all Christmas music. And after about the third or fourth commercial between songs I realized something: Not one of those commercials focused on the real reason we have Christmas. Each one said something like "Get into the holiday spirit by shopping at our store" or "Come in for our great deals on exactly what they want for Christmas." Now before I start sounding preachy or like I'm condemning everyone for shopping and spending money during the Christmas season, let me clarify. I am not against going out and buying nice things for family and friends. Just yesterday I bought Bill his Christmas present and I spent a little too much time adding things to my Amazon.com wish list. All this post is meant for is to remind us why we have Christmas in the first place. I feel like it would do the world some good to return their focus to Christ and remember the wonderful things He has done for us and what an amazing occasion His birth was. His birth was so ordinary and so simple, yet so profound. Because of Him we have the opportunity to be with our loved ones again and to be cleansed from the sins and the pains that we experience on this earth, which in my opinion is the greatest gift that anyone can give us.

So I hope that, while we are enjoying the beautiful decorations around town or attending a Christmas party, we will remember that our focus should be on this man:

and not this man:

A little catch-up

2011-11-30T11:42:00.009-06:00

I realized that I never posted about Will's 6th birthday party...over a month ago! The theme for the party was superheros, with an emphasis on Spiderman. This year was a little extra exciting because Will had a new friend from school come to his party (he's the one on the right).

First, while we were waiting for all the guests to arrive, the kids made spider cookies. They, of course, had just as much fun eating the supplies as they did making the cookies, but I think they turned out really cute.

Once all the kids were there Bill played "Pass the Spider" with them (think Hot Potato with a toy spider).

Then we played "Pin the S on Superman.

Then at the end we had cake and presents.

I have to thank Bill for saving the day with the cake. I'm still working on my cake decorating skills (and my impatience when it comes to letting the cake cool first).

Between all the activities the kids had a great time playing on the playground. I highly recommend having a birthday party at a park if you can. Made so many things much easier!

I'm thankful: Week 3

2011-11-21T12:20:00.002-06:00

This week I'm thankful for technology. Especially things like email, blogs, Facebook, and Skype, which allow us to communicate and keep in touch with family and friends. I've been especially grateful for technology the past 4 1/2 years. Being away from the majority of our family has been hard on us (especially me) at times, so it's nice to know that, with a click of a mouse, we can be connected to parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, etc.

I'm thankful: Week 2

2011-11-12T22:22:00.003-06:00

This week I am thankful for this man

Since the day we met he has been doing whatever he can to make me smile and make our life together wonderful. He is one of the most patient, understanding, and thoughtful people I know. In our 7+ years together we have had our share of ups and downs, but even when things have been at their worst, Bill has done his best to turn a negative experience into a positive one. I could go on and on about the reasons why I love him and am thankful for him, but here's a Top 10 list.

10. He loves to serve others.
9. He is a family man.
8. He's a great kisser :)
7. He helps around the house.
6. He handles tough situations a lot better than I can.
5. He's very smart.
4. He's handsome
3. He's not afraid to show his emotions
2. He's supportive
1. He loves me in spite of my insecurities, my flaws, and my bad days.

Needless to say, I am a very lucky girl. Thank you honey for everything you do for me and our family and for just being you. I love you.

According to Will

2011-11-09T21:02:00.002-06:00

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:

1. Will
2. William
3. Sweetie

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:

1. Shirt
2. Pants
3. Underwear

THREE THINGS YOU WANT VERY BADLY AT THE MOMENT:

1. Superhero toys
2. More doggies
3. I don't know

THREE PEOPLE WHO YOU HOPE WILL DO THIS TOO:

1. Jessica
2. Justin
3. Sargis

THREE THINGS YOU DID LAST NIGHT:

1. Took Mommy to the church
2. Went to Sonic for dinner
3. Read books

THREE PEOPLE YOU LAST TALKED TO ON THE PHONE:

1. Grandma and Grandpa Evans
2. Grandma Phyllis and Grandpa Rollie
3. Auntie Erika

THREE THINGS YOU ARE GOING TO DO TOMORROW:

1. Go on a field trip for school
2. Maybe get hot lunch
3. Play at recess at school

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE DRINKS:

1. Water
2. Juice
3. Chocolate milk

THREE THINGS THAT MADE YOU SMILE TODAY:

1. Playing with Eddie and Cookie (two of his favorite stuffed dogs)
2. My stuffed kitty Milo
3. My 3 friends at school

I'm thankful: Week 1

2011-11-05T15:31:00.003-05:00

I kind of missed the boat on doing a daily post about being thankful like I was originally going to, so I've decided to do it weekly. This week I am thankful for the gospel, specifically I'm thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and Savior who know me and love me. This week has been a bit stressful for me for one reason or another, and there were days when I would be so emotionally exhausted and frustrated that I wasn't sure how I would survive the next day. And inevitably, more often than not, something would happen that would remind me that God loves me and is watching out for me. Whether it was a really good Institute lesson, something someone said in testimony meeting, or reading a scripture that totally applied to my situation, I have been reminded this week that all I need to do is use the Atonement and turn my burdens over to the Lord and I will get through whatever trials and afflictions come my way in the future. Which is definitely a very comforting thought.

Someday before I die

2011-10-23T17:15:00.002-05:00

I'm sure we've all heard the term "bucket list". I never thought about doing one before, until I heard about someone creating one to enter a vacation giveaway. So I thought, "why not, I'll enter. And even if I don't win the vacation I'll at least have my bucket list created." So here are 15 things I'd like to do, in no particular order.

1. Go to Europe
2. Train for/run a half marathon
3. Attend a Hollywood movie premiere
4. Go on a cruise
5. Take a road trip and visit all the national monuments (Mt. Rushmore, Washington Monument, etc.)
6. Write an article for a church magazine
7. Go on an African safari
8. Get a graduate degree
9. Go to a taping of a TV show (Dancing with the Stars is at the top of my list)
10. Learn how to sew or quilt
11. Take a vacation by train
12. Go to pro-football or pro-baseball game
13. Take a cake decorating class
14. Re-learn the guitar (and stick with it this time!)
15. Sleep on a houseboat

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details.

Mommy Musings: What will you choose?

2011-10-16T20:50:00.003-05:00

I have made a discovery since becoming a mother: I have a very short fuse. I tend to get irritated/frustrated/angry quite easily the majority of the time, especially when dealing with my family, and often it's the little things that will set me off. I know that most mothers probably struggle with patience, but some days it seems like my patience got lost in the mail somewhere along the way over the past 6 years. I'm working on not comparing myself with other mothers, especially since hearing President Uchtdorf say that "God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect...God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not." I realize we all have flaws, and there is no perfect mother out there. I'm also trying to work on something that my husband keeps trying to remind me of. The way that I deal with stressful situations, whether it be parenting, a church calling, housecleaning, etc., is my choice. For example: recently we've been having some behavior issues with Will. Each time he acts out or does something wrong, I have a choice. I can either get angry, wonder "Why me?", and make it an even worse situation. Or I can try to calmly deal with the problem, treat Will with love and kindness, and keep the spirit of contention out of our home. On the wall of our bedroom I put up a question for myself. It says "What mood will you choose to be in today?" Admittedly I look at that question very infrequently these days, but when I do look at it I am reminded that I am the one who chooses how I'm going to go about my day and deal with whatever life throws at me.

Best birthday present EVER!

2011-09-29T19:11:00.005-05:00

In my 30 years of birthdays I've had some pretty fun and memorable ones. And for the longest time my favorite birthday was when my parents threw me a surprise party for my 16th birthday. But I think that this year has topped it, because my amazing, wonderful, fantastic husband gave me one of the best presents I think I've had in a long time. I FINALLY got to see this:

And if that weren't awesome enough, I got to see the play here:

When we found out that it was playing in Atlanta we decided to make a quick trip out of it and visit Bill's cousin Tom and his family again. Our kids enjoy playing together, and I was able to take Tom's wife Jenn to the play with me, which was SO much fun. So Jenn and I left the kids with our wonderful husbands and hit the town. First we had dinner here:

(Cheesecake factory, in case you can't read it)

Oh my word, this place was heavenly. They have so much to choose from, and their cheesecake is AMAZING!! I think this restaurant tops my list of favorites now. Definitely a repeat.

After dinner we headed over to the theater. And even before the show started we had a couple of funny experiences. First of all, when we were leaving the restaurant is was pouring rain. And of course we didn't have an umbrella, so by the time we got to the car we felt like we had just been swimming. Lovely. But we just laughed it off and went on our way. When we got to the theater I realized I left something in the car that I needed, so Jenn was nice enough to run back and get it. While she was gone I got to witness a marriage proposal. About 5 feet away from me. The couple drove up in a horse and carriage, then the minute they stepped out the guy proposed. It was really cute. And then of course the play was AWESOME! I didn't know anything about it beyond hearing bits and pieces of some of the songs, so I really enjoyed it. It is such a unique story with wonderful music.

So let's just say, I have no idea how I am going to top this birthday. It was definitely one that I will remember for a long time.

We love grandparents!

2011-09-04T15:30:00.004-05:00

Last weekend Bill's parents stopped by for a couple of days on their way to see Bill's sister and her family in Florida. We did our best to pack in as much fun as we could in the time we had. On Saturday evening Bobby and Susan and their family came over and we had dinner at our house.

I think the kids enjoyed having someone to play with other than Mommy and Daddy.

Bill and his dad cooking the ingredients for the yummy fajitas we had

After dinner we headed over to a local park that has sprinkler-type features that they turn on a couple of times a day. It was great because it gave the kids something to do while the adults (or at least the moms - thanks to Bill and Bobby and their dad for watching the kids!) had a chance to sit in the shade and talk.

(sorry for the random picture, Susan!)

On Sunday Bill's parents went to church with us, then we had another yummy dinner, this time at Bobby and Susan's house. After that we let the kids run around and play while we chatted. Sorry, no pictures from this day. It was really sad to say goodbye, but we hope they'll be back again soon.

An Update

2011-08-26T17:21:00.010-05:00

Lots of things have happened in the last few weeks and months to our family, so here's a quick update

Kayla:

It seems like almost overnight that she's become such a big girl. I am loving having a girl who enjoys being in dresses and playing with princess stuff. If she had her way she would wear a dress every day and watch "Cinderella" 24/7. She loves nursery so much that we end up just following her down the hall at church while she runs. She misses Will now that he's gone all day, but she and I have been having some fun girl time. We go grocery shopping, read books, play outside, anything to make the time without Will go faster. Recently she moved from her crib to the bunk bed with Will, which they both love.

Her next big adventure: potty training! Wish me luck!

Will:

Obviously the most exciting thing in Will's life has been starting kindergarten. I asked him what his most favorite and least favorite parts of kindergarten are so far. This is what he said:

Most favorite: Playing with Mr. Potato Head, Mr. Corn and Mr. Carrot and drawing and learning how to write letters and learning how to make things.
Least favorite: Don't like kids pushing me off things on the playground or talking mean.

Hopefully the fact that his list of most favorite things is longer than the least favorite means that kindergarten will be a good experience. So far he's been the "big dog" (aka teacher's helper, snack provider, etc) for a day, learned a few new songs, and made some new friends. We're proud of him and how much he's grown and matured.

Kristin:

On August 20th I participated in my second 5K. Bill and the kids came with me to show support. It was quite a bit different from my first one. First of all, there were WAY too many hills! I was so tired and achy by the time I was done. And unfortunately the hills caused me to be about 2 minutes slower than my previous time. I had been hoping to beat my previous time. Oh well, maybe next race. Bill and I are thinking about training for a race together now.

Bill:
A couple months ago Bill was able to go with the ward scout troop to Iowa for High Adventure. They went rock climbing, swimming, and had a great time.

And when he's not home with us being an awesome husband and father, this is his life:

He's working hard to get ready for prelims hopefully the end of next month, which unfortunately sometimes mean long hours and late nights, but we're hopeful it'll all be worth it in the end.

And here are some other fun pictures of life at our house.

We role-played Joshua and the Battle of Jericho for FHE one night. Will was Joshua and the rest of us were Israelites.

We were lucky to get some good bikes from a neighbor a few months ago. Kayla is still trying to get the hang of using the pedals, but they still have a great time.

Mommy Musings: Memories

2011-08-16T22:32:00.003-05:00

Have you ever come across a picture from your childhood or teenage years that made you go "Eek" or "What was I thinking dressing like that?" Well, my dad recently uncovered this little gem

Hellooo 80's! I love so many parts of this picture. The big hair, the prints on the shorts, the shoulder pads, the ugly pink cast I'm sporting. I'm not sure what's happening in the picture. It looks like some sort of school program. And it's definitely not one of my most photogenic moments, but it's fun to look back and remember other parts of my childhood. And possibly curse the fact that this picture is now floating around the web for all to see.

Mommy Musings: The Importance of Women

2011-08-07T17:32:00.002-05:00

We had a really good lesson in Relief Society today. It was based on a talk by Quentin L. Cook entitled "LDS Women Are Incredible!" There have been a number of times when I feel like a lesson or talk has been prepared or given just for me. Today was one of those days. As a stay-at-home mom there are many days when I think to myself "Why am I doing this?" or "Can this get any harder or more overwhelming?" I love my children, but motherhood can be very taxing, not only physically but emotionally. I often feel like I don't measure up to my full potential. I feel like I'm not doing enough for Bill or the kids. This quote by Elder Cook made me feel a bit better

Our women are not incredible because they have managed to avoid the difficulties of life—quite the opposite. They are incredible because of the way they face the trials of life. Despite the challenges and tests life has to offer—from marriage or lack of marriage, children’s choices, poor health, lack of opportunities, and many other problems—they remain remarkably strong and immovable and true to the faith. Our sisters throughout the Church consistently “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”

We can't avoid the trials of our life. That's why we are here on this earth. How we approach them is what matters the most. I often lose track of that. Unfortunately I've been known too often to ask "Why is this happening to me?" It's something I've struggled with for a long time and something I have decided to work extra hard to overcome.

Another interesting point that was brought up in the Relief Society lesson today was about the organization of Relief Society. The sister giving the comment brought up the fact that the Relief Society is an organization of the Church that wasn't proposed by the priesthood. Emma Smith and others went to the Prophet Joseph Smith and talked to him about starting an organization for women. Eliza R. Snow drafted a constitution all on her own. These were strong women who knew what they wanted to do and knew how to get it done.

I'm very glad that we had this lesson today, because I needed to be reminded of my important role in my family, in my church, and in my community. As a woman I have special abilities and qualities that are unique.

Mommy Musings: To clean or not to clean?

2011-08-02T17:43:00.005-05:00

I am starting a new feature on this blog. A few months ago I attended a book signing by The Pioneer Woman. During her Q&A period someone asked her how she got started with her blog. She said that one of her first posts was pictures of food in her pantry and the expiration dates. She is famous for writing about random happenings around her house and about her family. So I have decided to try and do something similar. Every once in a while (I have yet to decide if this will be daily, weekly, or just whenever I feel inspired) I am going to talk about family, church, housewife duties, etc. Today's musing, as you can probably tell from the title, is about cleaning. I'm not the most effective cleaner nor the most consistent, but I do like to have a clean house on a regular basis. However, today I had a thought: Why do I bother cleaning certain areas of my house? As anyone with small children can attest, the minute you clean a room, especially if it's frequented by family members, it stays clean for very little time. If you clean it right before you go to bed it stays clean a bit longer, but you aren't able to enjoy its cleanliness because you're sleeping. So I was trying to figure out why I take so much time and energy to clean my house. And the answer is that I get a sense of accomplishment and a good feeling from doing so. Even if a room or the house is clean for half an hour or less, for that small amount of time I can look around and say "I did this. This makes me happy." And I even realized a while back that cleaning can be a form of exercise. For example, when I clean my bathroom I'm constantly bending forward to clean the tub or reaching up to clean the mirrors. And by the time I'm done I've worked up a sweat. So I've come to the conclusion that cleaning is very beneficial, even if the results are only temporary. And since, if you were to come to my house now you wouldn't believe it, here is proof that my house was clean earlier today.

Videos

2011-07-22T09:38:00.003-05:00

We've had requests for more videos of Will and Kayla, so here are some of our favorites. Enjoy!

Kayla is definitely all girl. She loves to wear dresses and dance to any music that is playing. Part way through the clip she says "I need my slippers." She's currently obsessed with Cinderella and princesses.

Will decided that he and Kayla ought to be in charge of the opening song for FHE recently. "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" is his favorite song.

Will and his friends playing at preschool graduation. I didn't even know this video existed until a couple of days ago, so I'm glad Bill took it.

Will showing off his awesome memorization skills. Our stake president encouraged us to memorize at least the first paragraph of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." Our family took it a bit further and decided to memorize the whole thing. So far we've done 3 paragraphs.

Seven Years

2011-07-10T08:06:00.003-05:00

Seven years ago, a dream came true. Kristin and I had been dating for about a year when we finally got married on July 10, 2004. While we were dating, I really fell in love with her empathy, her caring, and her independence. I thought I loved her and was amazed by her then, but I am still constantly surprised and amazed by her. She does so much to help make our house a home. She constantly finds ways to celebrate special occasions and to show those around her that she loves them. She stretches outside her comfort zone to do things to help her children and to support her husband. Happy Anniversary, I love you Sweetie.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

2011-06-26T15:14:00.002-05:00

Today is my 30th birthday. I've been doing a lot of thinking over the past few days about my 20's and wondering about what my 30's will be like. It seems like, as I'm sure it is with a lot of people, my 20's were a time of changes and new experiences. In the last decade I have accomplished pretty much all of the goals that I set for myself when I was a child and teenager. I served a mission, graduated from BYU, married in the temple, and started my family. The first half of my 20's was spent living in an apartment and enjoying life as a single college student. The second half of my 20's was spent dating then marrying Bill, having my two kids, and adjusting to being a homemaker. So recently my question to myself has been "Now what?" Now that I've accomplished everything, what's next? I was talking about this with Bill yesterday, and he said something that I thought was perfect. I wish I could remember exactly how he put it, but I'll try to paraphrase. He said that I spent my 20's reaching my goals of becoming a wife and mother, and I'll spend my 30's perfecting those roles. By the time my 30's are over Will is going to be almost 16 and Kayla will be in Young Women. So my 30's will be spent teaching them how to be good people and helping them through their childhood and early adolescence. Which is quite a daunting and overwhelming thought. And of course I can always make new goals for myself. So even though I'm saying goodbye to a fun and enlightening time of my life, I'm looking forward to seeing what the next 10 years have in store for me.

Look Who Graduated!

2011-05-23T21:31:00.005-05:00

No, I'm not talking about Bill. That's still at least a couple of years down the road. A few weeks ago Will graduated from preschool. It was a fun little celebration.

I thought the little graduation caps were a great touch.

The whole class. One funny thing about this particular preschool class is that at least 75% of the kids were from either our ward or our stake. Will had a lot of friends to play with.

Will and his teacher Mrs. Yagow. She is really great and Will seemed to like her quite a bit.

So now Will is officially done with preschool and will start kindergarten in the fall. It's hard to believe we are old enough to have a child in kindergarten, but we are excited for him and hope he will enjoy it as much as he enjoyed preschool.

Utah Trip

2011-05-11T21:41:00.000-05:00

Right before Easter our family got to go to Utah because Bill's brother was getting married. We were lucky enough to be able to take our time driving out, due to Bill's flexible schedule. We really enjoyed the scenery along the way, especially once we got to Colorado and Utah.

After hearing about all the snow that Utah had been getting, we were really worried about what the weather would be like, but it was really nice most of the time we were there.

Once we got there, it seemed like we were on a quest to visit as many family and friends as possible in one week. We got to stay with my wonderful mom who loved spoiling and playing with Will and Kayla and was so generous with everything that whole week

We went out to lunch with a few of my high school friends and our kids (Sorry the picture isn't the best, but thanks to Bill for trying to take one)

We had a wonderful dinner and visit with Bill's parents before all the craziness with the wedding happened

We got to visit some family graves at the Provo cemetery, and Will and Kayla got their picture taken by the really cool old tree that is right next to the graves (I can't remember if it's the oldest in Utah or what the record is that it holds, but it's a really neat tree).

We also saw a lot of my cousins and aunts and uncles, but unfortunately didn't have our camera with us at the time. Sorry guys!

One of the days we were there my mom and Bill decided to have a little photo shoot with Will and Kayla in their fancy wedding clothes. There were tons of cute pictures, but here are some of my favorites.

And of course, the most important reason we were there was because of Jonny and Brooke's wedding.

The happy couple. I personally am so excited to have Brooke in the family. She's so fun and nice, and I'm excited to get to know her.

Bil's mom decided to get matching dresses and bow ties for all the grandchildren. They all looked so cute! This picture is missing Robert. A lot of the kids were having meltdowns at one point or another due to lack of naps and other hiccups in their schedules.

I loved their wedding cake. It looked beautiful and tasted delicious.

It was a wonderful trip full of fun, laughs, and lots of craziness. We loved seeing so many people that we love. We wish we could've stayed another month just to do all the things we wanted to do and see all the people we wanted to see. Guess we'll just have to go back again soon!

Worth It

2011-05-08T16:20:00.004-05:00

A quote that's been a favorite of mine for a long time says "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." Recently I've applied that to being a mother. I know it sounds cliche, but motherhood is probably the hardest and yet most rewarding job I've ever had. Will and Kayla are two of the most active, hyper, funny, kind, sweet kids I know and I am grateful that I get to be their mother, even on the bad days when I feel like pulling my hair out. They keep me on my toes, they make me laugh, they challenge me, and they inspire me. And despite my weaknesses and faults they love me. Being their mother makes it all worth it.

Sweetness

2011-05-06T13:42:00.002-05:00

I just had to quickly share something that happened earlier today, because I don't want to forget it. First a little background and a bit of confession time. Today hasn't been one of my best days. I've been a bit lazy, unmotivated, and down. Every time I get this way (which happens a little too often sometimes), I start to get emotional and feel guilty for how it affects my relationships with my family and my responsibilities as a wife and mother. When I was putting Kayla down for a nap I started to tear up a little. I held her in my arms for a minute, muttering "I'm sorry". When I set her in bed she looked at me and said "Why are you sad?" I decided to be honest and told her "I'm sad because I don't feel like a very good Mommy". To which my sweet little girl replied "You are a good Mommy." So it's nice to know that, even in my worst times, my children still love me and think I'm doing ok.

A Sneak Peek

2011-04-26T15:56:00.001-05:00

Here's a peek at one of the many activities our family enjoyed over the last couple of weeks. More pictures and videos to come when I actually have time to sit down and put them together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyxGa0Pb0Vk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz2YLQA2gIU

Challenging myself

2011-04-20T14:33:00.002-05:00

I've decided to give myself a challenge. I've noticed that I only blog about really big, important events in mine or my family's life. Which is great, but I seem to forget about the day-to-day activities that are equally as important. Since this blog has become somewhat of a journal for me (which is sad, considering I only post every month or so, if that), I'm going to try and blog at least 1-2 times a week. Hopefully that will motivate me to take more pictures of my kids and write down the funny things they do or say every day. Wish me luck!

Finding hidden treasures

2011-04-05T22:17:00.006-05:00

We've had our piano for a while now. Every time we played it there would be keys that would stick or would make strange noises. So the other day Bill decided to take the piano apart to see what was going on.

I've seen the inside of a piano a number of times, but it still amazes me a little bit that someone took the time to put that all together.

After taking apart quite a bit of the piano, we finally found the culprit for part of the problem

I found the one called "Being the Mom" particularly funny.

So now our piano works marginally better. It's still somewhat out of tune, and there are other problems that may or may not get fixed someday, but we are glad we have it.

A sure sign your kids love your FHE treats

2011-04-05T21:58:00.005-05:00

Their face and hands are covered in chocolate and they have a huge grin on their face.

A Child's Perspective

2011-03-18T21:11:00.002-05:00

I heard a funny story about Will from a friend of mine yesterday and I thought I'd share, because it's a little glimpse of how his mind works. The other day at preschool Will and a couple of his friends were climbing on something they shouldn't have. Their teacher came over and said "Watch out boys or you might climb so high that you'll be as tall as your moms!" Will looked at her and said "I'm already as tall as my mom." To which his teacher replied "Well I'm sure that if your mom stood up she'd be much taller." At this point my friend said that Will just gave his teacher a blank stare. Apparently it didn't occur to him that Mommy could stand up, because he's never seen me do so. Another recent thought from Will that pops up every once in a while: "When Jesus comes you'll be out of your wheelchair." Love this boy!

We Love You Kayla!

2011-03-07T11:15:00.002-06:00

Today is Kayla's 2nd birthday. She's grown into such a sweet little girl with a spunky personality. To celebrate her day (and because I feel like bragging about her), here are a few things that make her so wonderful.

-She cheerfully greets us when we go to get her in the morning with a big smile
-She treats her two dolls like real babies. She loves to take them for walks in her stroller, give them hugs, and talk to them
-She's a true girl. She loves to choose out her clothes, comb her hair, and look at herself in the mirror
-She loves to talk to Daddy on the phone when he's at work
-She waves and says hi and bye to everyone she meets
-She has a large vocabulary and is constantly talking
-She's developed a very stubborn streak and wants to do everything herself. Her favorite phrase is "Me too!" which she says very emphatically when she wants to do something
-She loves playing with Will, and defends herself very well when he does something she doesn't like

There are obviously many other things we love about her. We couldn't imagine our home or family without her and are so grateful that she belongs to us. Happy birthday babe!

Midwest Mama meets Pioneer Woman

2011-02-28T15:32:00.005-06:00

Have you ever had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity come into your life? I did this past weekend. Anyone who has ever heard of the blog www.thepioneerwoman.com knows that it's a big deal. Not only does she have a blog, but she's written at least two books, and has appeared on shows like "Today" and "Good Morning America." Recently she has been on a book signing tour for her book Black Heels to Tractor Wheels (which my wonderful mother kindly sent to me when I told her about the book signing, and which I'm already about halfway through. Thanks again Mom!), and one of the cities was St. Louis, MO. That just happens to be our temple district, so we decided to stop by after we were done at the temple and check it out. I had never been to a book signing before, so I didn't know what to expect. It started at 6 in the evening, so when we were done at the temple around 4 we drove over to the library where it was being held to make sure we knew where to go. And it was a good thing we did! When we got there the line had already started outside, so Bill dropped me off to wait in line while he graciously took Will and Kayla somewhere for a while. I had fun chatting with other fans of hers while freezing to death for an hour or so. Bill and the kids came back after a while and we all went inside to take our seats for the Q&A they had before the signing. They introduced her and you would've thought we were at a rock concert or something. It was a lot of fun to listen to her and even catch a few glimpses of her husband, whom she affectionately calls "Marlboro Man".

We were probably only about 7-8 rows back. Awesome seats!

After the Q&A we went to another room for the book signing. As we were standing in line, library workers came to each person and asked "Would you like your book personalized?" If we said yes they asked us our name and then wrote it on a post-it-note and stuck it inside our book so that she'd know who we were without having to ask "Who do I make this out to?" 300 times. When we got up to her table, I handed over the book, she signed it, talked for a minute with Will and Kayla, then graciously posed for a picture with us.

This is definitely not one of my favorite pictures of any of us. I look WAY too excited, Kayla was trying to get off my lap at that point, and Bill wasn't originally going to be in the picture. But I still like it because we got our picture taken with The Pioneer Woman (whose real name is Ree, by the way). So needless to say, even though it ended up being a VERY late night (thank goodness we have 11:00 church now), it was definitely a very fun experience that I'll always remember. And if you've never read her blog or seen her books, go do it now!

Silly kids

2011-01-16T22:22:00.012-06:00

It's often hard to entertain two active, often hyper kids, but we have a lot of fun and love watching how silly Will and Kayla can be sometimes.

Kayla is constantly on the move, running from one activity to another. This picture was accidental, but captures her perfectly.

One of Kayla's favorite activities is having one of us read books to her. She also loves to pull our books off the shelves.

Lately Kayla has been interested in the big cupboard in the kitchen. She especially loves the peanut butter and syrup for some reason. Here she is with the peanut butter tower she made, and of course her cheesy smile.

A few weeks ago Bill and I went to see Voyage of the Dawn Treader in 3D. We brought home the glasses they gave us, and immediately Will and Kayla wanted to play with them.

Will and Daddy love doing things together, no matter what it is. Here they are building a Yogi Bear flying machine.

Life is certainly never dull in our house!

Christmas Day

2011-01-16T22:00:00.007-06:00

We stayed home for Christmas this year, and Bobby and Susan were gone visiting her family, so we enjoyed a quiet morning with just our family. After enjoying homemade cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate/cider for breakfast we unwrapped presents. We received many wonderful gifts from family members, and Will and Kayla got a number of fun gifts from Santa and others.

Will's remote control truck

Kayla loved (and still loves) her new doll

A while ago Will started asking if he could have his own Book of Mormon to use when we read scriptures as a family, since he reads a verse almost completely by himself each day. So Bill grabbed a couple from the distribution center at the temple and gave one to both Will and Kayla. He even made them extra special by "engraving" (using a puff pen) their names on the front.

Later in the day we invited a few friends over for Christmas dinner. I didn't think to get out the camera while everyone was here, but here's a picture of all the yummy desserts we made.

All in all we had a great Christmas. We missed our families, of course, but enjoyed being together making our own memories and traditions.

Pre-Christmas activities

2011-01-16T21:44:00.009-06:00

We had a busy month of December leading up to Christmas. Of course we did the traditional decorating of the tree, but this year it happened in shifts.

The family decorating the tree together

Daddy finishing up with the more fragile ornaments later

The finished product

Since we don't have a fireplace or a mantle, Bill gets pretty creative with where we hang our stockings.

Christmas is a fun time to bake yummy treats. Will saw a picture of reindeer cupcakes in a magazine and wanted to make some. They definitely didn't look like the ones in the picture, but they were still fun to make.

After putting the batter into the muffin tin, I realized we still had some left, so rather than making more cupcakes I decided to put the rest into a round cake pan and make these:

We were fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on who in the family you ask) to have a white Christmas. Will absolutely loves playing in the snow and building snowmen. Kayla tolerates it for a little while, but she seems to share her mom's aversion to really cold temperatures.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T21:31:00.032-06:00

For Thanksgiving this year we decided to go down to Atlanta, Georgia. Bill and I both have some family that live there that we haven't seen in a long time, and we decided that since we might not live this close to them for much longer we might as well take advantage of it. So we packed up our family and started the long 10-hour drive.

Everyone did great (mostly thanks to some fun books on CD), and we arrived at Bill's cousin's house on Tuesday afternoon. We were pleasantly surprised to see his aunt and uncle there - it's actually their house, Bill's cousin and his family live there for the time being - because we thought they'd be in Houston. Having them there made things even more fun.
The next two days were full of lots of laughs, cooking, playing, and just a lot of fun. We took the kids to the park

Took a quick tour of the area

Random house surrounded by gorgeous trees

Atlanta Temple. If it wasn't being renovated we might've thought about doing a session.

But mostly we stayed at the house and had fun together.

Kayla spent a lot of time analyzing their video selection and playing with that big toy sitting beside her. They even had an extra one that we were able to take home with us. One Christmas present down!

Will and his 2nd cousin Jefferson. These two are about 6 months apart in age, and they had a fabulous time together.

Kolson, Will and Jefferson. These three were always running around the house or the yard, so when they finally sat still we had to record the moment.

Three handsome soldiers

Thanksgiving Day we had a lot of fun. Everyone pitched in with the cooking

While the boys made gumdrop turkeys with Bill's cousin Tom

The table right before all the food was spread out

Yummy

Kayla was ready to say a prayer and dig in

After dinner the boys played a few games. It was really funny to watch them play Twister.

I think the only one who didn't enjoy Thanksgiving completely was Kayla. She didn't get a nap that day, so by the end of the day we got this

Which eventually led to this

And I had to take some pictures of their cute house and beautiful backyard. I had never been to this part of the country before, and I definitely wouldn't mind visiting again.

Tom, Jen, Hyrum, Jefferson, and Kolson

Our last stop before going home was to see my uncle John and his family. Their oldest is on a mission and their second oldest is attending school at BYU-Idaho, so we weren't able to see them, but we saw their other two kids, Megan and Ryan. Ryan is an amazing photographer already, and he was nice enough to take some pictures for us.

We had such a fun time and it was so hard to leave everyone. Thank you to Ray, Kay, Tom, Jen, John and Chris for making our trip so awesome. We will definitely be coming back soon.

Sorry Santa

2010-11-19T19:58:00.004-06:00

Someone else is comin' to town first - The Tooth Fairy. Will lost his first tooth tonight. Technically it probably could've stayed in for a while longer, but we had some minor drama that caused it to come out now. It was funny seeing Will's reaction. Obviously when everything first happened he got a little scared and worried. I mean, wouldn't you if your loose tooth started bleeding, then fell out a few minutes later? But after a minute or two he thought it was the coolest thing and he wanted to show all his stuffed animals and toys. So now we've experienced another first in our house. I wonder how much the Tooth Fairy is charging these days.

(Sorry the first picture isn't so great. I'm not very good at figuring out the best lighting)

Cake and Carving and Costumes...Oh My!

2010-10-31T14:31:00.025-05:00

It's been an eventful, fun-filled week. It all started with Will's 5th birthday on Monday.

I made him a special breakfast. He looks thrilled, doesn't he?

Later that day we had his birthday party. There's just one word I think best describes the event - CHAOS! Which is, of course, completely understandable when you put 10 kids, ages 3-5, together in a huge room that has an echo. But the kids all seemed to have a fun time, so that's all that matters, right?

These two girls are probably two of the sweetest, most adorable girls I've met in a long time.

Here the kids are playing "Simon Says". My favorite part of the picture is that it looks like Kayla is the one being the leader, even though it was actually Bill.

Will's monster truck pinata after being destroyed. None of the kids were able to make much of a dent, so after all the kids got a turn, Bill took a few whacks at it. After HE was unable to crack it open by hitting it with the bat (I have never seen a sturdier pinata) we had to resort to throwing it on the floor as hard as we could. It was really funny.

Will blowing out his candles. Bill and I spent most of our Sunday night putting his cake together. Basically we made it look (as best we could) like the board from a Candyland game. I think it's the most candy-filled cake I've ever seen, but it ended up looking pretty good.

Will opening presents. I think I'm going to have to give away some of his old toys just to make room for all the amazing things he got for his birthday this year.

The whole group enjoying cake and ice cream. Will has some fun friends, and we're sad that we'll be losing some of them in the next year or so.

Later in the week we carved our pumpkin. Bill and I did most of the work

I love Will's face in this picture, like he's saying "Daddy, don't hurt the pumpkin!"

The end of the week was devoted to all things Halloween. Will and Kayla were dressed up as characters from Dr. Seuss. Can you guess which ones? (Ok, so Will's is obvious, but what about Kayla?)

On Friday morning we went with Susan and Robert and a few other friends to a local nursing home for a short costume parade. Kayla wasn't too excited about it.

Friday night was our ward Halloween party and Trunk-or-Treat.

From all the parties and other activities during the week they both have WAY too much candy. But they had a fun week. Hope you all did too.

Self-portrait by Will Evans

2010-10-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

Earlier this morning Will told us that he wanted to draw a picture. In the past when he's drawn something it was usually a bunch of scribbles and a circle or other shape here and there. But today he surprised us with this:

He had drawn a picture of himself, complete with a face, hands, and feet, plus he WROTE HIS NAME! (it really is in there, despite my horrible picture-taking) I've been hoping he'd learn how to do that for the longest time, and it finally happened. It was such a fun moment for all of us. He's growing up into a great young man and we are very proud of all his accomplishments.

Off to the races

2010-09-27T09:35:00.012-05:00

Back in May I made this goal. Bill joined in on the fun, and over the last two weeks both of us have reached that goal. First up was Bill's race, the Savoy Orchard Days 5k. The kids and I came along to cheer him on and did our best to entertain ourselves while we waited near the finish line.

Bill before the race

Crazy kids

Post-race picture

Doing stretches with Daddy

This was taken on top of the hill where the finish line was.

A week later it was my turn. I chose to run in the Women's Fitness 5K. Bill and the kids were there, and later Susan and her kids came to show their support.

Pre-race picture

At the starting line

This was the most grueling part of the race. We were running on the side of a main road so I spent a good 5-10 minutes being tilted to one side next to the sidewalk, which meant that my right arm was doing all the work.

Crossing the finish line. It was an awesome and emotional few minutes for me when I realized that I had finished and accomplished this goal. I think Bill and I have decided that we're going to try and do this again sometime in the future. If nothing else it was a wake-up call to how out of shape we are and how much we need to exercise and stay healthy. So if you ever need a kick in the pants to get you motivated, make the goal to run a marathon!

Looking back

2010-09-26T14:13:00.012-05:00

I seem to be really bad at updating our blog lately, therefore you all are going to be subjected to another long, picture-heavy post. Here are some of the happenings of the Evans family over the past few months.

COUCHES
Being the poor college students that we are, our living room furniture is not what you would call classy or new. We've inherited pieces from family, neighbors, and craigslist. Until recently it didn't bother me much that we don't have matching furniture. But for some reason I started being frustrated that our couches didn't match. So began my quest to find matching slipcovers. And finally, thanks to some great family members who gave us gift cards, we were able to purchase some from JCPenney.

Before:

After:

I've now gotten the remodeling bug. We'll see how much finances and time allow us to do in the future.

DECATUR ZOO
You may remember last year when we went to the zoo near our home. This year we decided to go again, and we invited Bobby and Susan to come with us this time. Will and Alice had a blast hanging out and looking at all the animals, and Kayla and Robert enjoyed being out in the sun and playing.

One of the highlights of the zoo for Will was getting to go on the train. He asked about it both last year and this year, and was so excited when we got to go this time. It wasn't a very long ride, but he seemed to enjoy himself.

THE "CHEESE VEGETABLE"
In the 3+ years that we've lived here I've gotten used to some of the differences between the West and the Midwest. No mountains, lots of corn, the Church being a minority religion in the area, etc. One aspect of living here that I've come to enjoy is the types of entertainment. For example, a few weeks ago we went to the Amish Country Cheese Festival. (Will apparently misunderstood the name, so he started calling it the cheese "vegetable." We thought it was funny, so the name stuck.) Every year the small town of Arthur, Illinois hosts a 3-day event with cheese tasting, cheese-centered sporting competitions, vendors selling numerous items (cheese-related and otherwise), clowns making balloon animals, and a number of other activities. But the most exciting event of the festival seems to be the International Cheese Curling Competition. Last year we weren't able to go to the competition due to bad weather, but this year we decided to go see what it was all about. Needless to say, we made a very wise decision. Not only did we have a lot of fun, but Bill ended up being on the winning team. So I can now say that my husband is one of four international cheese curling champions. For more details on this exciting event, check out our friends blog.

The winning team: Alysa Stewart, Jacob Stewart, Joe Bair, Bill Evans

Look at that amazing technique.

After the cheese curling, we went to get Will a balloon animal. There is a group there that ties balloon animals of all sorts. Last year, Will got a balloon pumpkin. He has been talking about it ever since. He asked for months afterwards when we were going to go back and see the clowns and get another pumpkin. Well, this year, when we decided to go back to the festival, we made certain to go get another balloon animal. This year Will decided on a balloon fish on a fishing pole. It didn't last more than a day or two, but he was absolutely ecstatic.

PRESCHOOL
I have decided that it's a bittersweet thing to have your child start school. You are excited for them and all the fun that they will hopefully have, but you are a little sad that you no longer will have them at home 24/7. At least that's how I felt this last week when Will started preschool. There's a great program that one of the local high schools started called Little Maroons. (The high school's mascot is Max Maroon, who is apparently a bear. It appears that the only known picture of Max Maroon is found in an old alumni newsletter here -- You have no idea how long it took us to find this.) Will goes to preschool every Tuesday through Thursday for about 3 hours. We love it mostly because the majority of his friends are also in the preschool, so they all have a lot of fun together. We hope he will enjoy the whole year and that this will be good practice for kindergarten next year.

I love Will and his friend Spencer in this picture. Their faces seem to be saying "what are you doing here?"

Just for fun

2010-09-06T18:11:00.002-05:00

I love taking pictures of Will and Kayla because I never know what will happen. These four videos have nothing to do with each other, but they're all fun in their own way.

Daddy came up with a new game that Will and Kayla love to play with him. And while I love to watch them, I worry sometimes about Bill's poor knees.

Kayla is becoming quite a dancer. This video shows only a tiny bit of her talent, and of course Will wanted in on the action too.

Will discovered a fun new game. If you stick pieces of paper up to the air conditioning vent they stick. This entertained him for at least a few minutes.

This last video is my favorite. Kayla is definitely a smart little girl. She says a lot of words and understands many things.

Interactive FHE

2010-08-29T17:17:00.004-05:00

I'm sure there would be others who would agree with me that having FHE with small children can be an interesting experience. Their attention spans are low, they get distracted easily, and other issues come up. Recently we've started having what I call "interactive FHE." I've noticed that if we involve Will in the lesson as much as possible, he's a little more likely to pay better attention. Here are two of our recent attempts.

THE ARMOR OF GOD

Using two big paper bags, some packing tape, a milk carton cut in half, and aluminum foil, I was able to turn Will into a soldier.

LISTEN TO THE HOLY GHOST

I'm sure we've all done this at one point or another. We blindfolded Will, Bill and Kayla made a bunch of noise, and I was a few feet away speaking quietly trying to get Will to come over to me. It was pretty funny by the end, but Will did a great job.

I have yet to come up with more lessons like that, so if anyone has ideas that have worked for them, I'd love suggestions.

Making sense of the world

2010-08-29T17:00:00.003-05:00

I have always been a people watcher. I enjoy looking around at other people and watching how they interact or communicate, seeing what quirks they have, etc. Being a mom allows me to be a people watcher 24/7. I love seeing Will and Kayla grow and learn and get to know the world around them. Lately Kayla has discovered connections. She is constantly pointing to things in books, then either pointing to the real thing or going to get it. Her favorite things to point to or retrieve are clocks, dolls, balls, dogs, and bears. It's been really neat to see things click in her head and how much she's growing and learning.

Our life through pictures

2010-08-07T12:51:00.009-05:00

We've done a lot of things over the past couple of months, and I finally have the pictures to prove it. So bear with me through this picture-heavy post.

FATHERS AND SONS CAMPOUT

Once again Will and Daddy got to bond together with other fathers and sons in our stake (and Kayla and Mommy got to enjoy some quiet girl time). The weather wasn't ideal, but they seemed to have a good time anyway.

Such a helpful boy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Unfortunately this is the only picture we have from my birthday. We had a combined birthday party for me and Bill with a bunch of our friends. We had a BBQ, endured the sweltering heat, and had a great time.

NAUVOO

We decided at the last minute to go to Nauvoo for the pageant. We had done it a couple of years ago when it was just Will, and decided Kayla might be old enough to take this time. We were smart enough to borrow Bobby and Susan's tent, which made camping after the pageant a little more comfortable (but only barely - Nauvoo is HOT at night!) We loved the pageant, and enjoyed walking around Nauvoo the next day. Bill took the kids to a play ground near our campsite and let them get their wiggles out before the long ride home.

SOCCER
We decided to sign Will up for soccer this summer to help him (and us) get out of the house and doing something active. It's been so much fun to watch him play and learn new skills. We have a lot of respect for the coaches who are so patient and understanding with all the kids running around.

His "official" pose

I love how serious he looks in this shot. Total concentration.

SILLY SHOTS

Ever since we got our new digital camera (Thanks again Karen and Jake!) the kids love when we take pictures of them.

So that's a little update on our family. Beyond that, Bill has been hard at work either on campus or with his various church responsibilities. I have been at home with Will and Kayla trying to keep our lives running smoothly. It's been a great summer so far, and we look forward to what the future brings.

Our new addition

2010-07-12T12:02:00.004-05:00

Thanks to some friends who were moving this weekend, we were able to get something we thought we'd have to wait years for.

An upright piano! We are very excited to have it, since all we've had up till now is a keyboard.

Will and Kayla are constantly asking us if they can play it. I think piano lessons for Will might be in the near future.

Ode to Bill

2010-06-20T14:10:00.004-05:00

With today being Father's Day and since Bill's birthday was this last week, I decided to write a post all about one of the most wonderful men I know. I have a lot of great men in my life - my dad, my father-in-law, my two fantastic grandfathers, 4 awesome brothers-in-law, cousins, uncles, the list goes on and on. But there's one man who tops them all (in my humble opinion). And that would be my husband. Since the moment I met him (remind me sometime to tell you the cheesy line he used), he's made me smile and laugh. He fits all the criteria that I wrote down when I was a teenager of the kind of man I wanted to marry. He makes me feel special, appreciated, and loved. He goes out of his way to take care of me and the kids. He is smarter than a lot of people I know, in many different ways. He is dedicated to his schoolwork and his church callings. He is a worthy priesthood holder who loves the Lord. He is an amazing father who takes time out of his day as much as he can to spend time with each of our kids. He is handsome, kind, loving, funny, forgiving, selfless, honest, and overall just one of the most amazing people I know. I'm grateful that I get the opportunity to be his wife and to spend my life with him. I love you honey!

(Sorry for the random picture, honey. But you look handsome! :-)

Just a taste

2010-06-15T11:26:00.004-05:00

For the past few months I've been involved in an Institute choir called Heritage Singers. It's been such a privilege and so much fun for me to be a part of it. Our director is incredibly talented and we've all enjoyed performing and sharing our talents. Recently we had the opportunity to record one of our songs to be part of the BYU Magazine podcast. When I heard the finished product I was blown away by how good we all sounded (it's a lot different only hearing a few voices at a time during rehearsals compared to the whole choir), so I thought I'd share. The song is called "The Road Home." Enjoy!

"Motherhood" comes in all shapes and sizes

2010-05-09T14:57:00.004-05:00

I was sitting in sacrament meeting this morning listening to talks about motherhood. Normally when I hear them I'm merely listening and not paying close attention to anything more than 5 feet ahead of me (as happens to most mothers with small children, I'm sure). But today for some reason, I started looking around at all the women in the congregation. And I realized that, mixed in with the women who are in my similar situation - young, just a couple of kids, husbands in school, etc. - there are many other types of women. There are great-grandmothers; first-time grandmothers; divorced, working mothers; grandmothers raising grandchildren; pregnant women; and women who are single with no children. It got me thinking about the word "mother." It doesn't always mean a woman who is married with a bunch of kids. It can mean an aunt or a grandmother who is raising family members, it can mean the bishop's wife who takes care of ward members, it can mean a visiting teacher who goes above and beyond her calling. I heard someone once use the phrase "mother heart." I think all women in some way have a "mother heart". They are naturally nurturing and loving, they care for friends and family, sometimes complete strangers, in numerous ways. There are women who take in foster children, who babysit for friends on a regular basis, who sit with stressed mothers in sacrament meeting. I could go on and on. So this Mother's Day I not only honor my own mother and those in my family and circle of friends, but all women who are mothers-at-heart, who are true examples of what a mother should be. Happy Mother's Day!

Since putting it on my blog makes it official

2010-05-04T16:59:00.002-05:00

I don't usually write a post like this, but I needed to have it in writing so that you all can ask me about it and motivate me on the days that I might not want to work on this goal. I have decided to "run" in a 5K. A lot of my friends participated in a marathon on Saturday, plus on "The Biggest Loser" (one of my favorite shows these days) they ran a 5K. So I figured, why not me? I don't know when or where, but I'm determined to do it. I'll keep you posted with details later.

Easily entertained

2010-04-13T14:07:00.003-05:00

First of all I apologize that these pictures are not the greatest. With our camera still out of commission, I have to make do with my phone camera. But I had to capture a couple of pictures of Kayla. Recently she's become quite the climber, and has enjoyed playing in some unusual places

Like the inside of her toy box

And on top of the end table between our couches. This one started occurring just in the last couple of days, and I've learned that if I don't watch her like a hawk sometimes, this is where I can usually find her.

The Birthday Girl

2010-03-24T12:04:00.007-05:00

Due to recent computer issues this post is about 2 1/2 weeks late, but here it is. Kayla's 1st birthday was March 7th, and we got together with Bobby, Susan and Alice for a fun little party the day before. Thank you so much, Bobby and Susan, for taking some great pictures and videos to make up for our lack of a working camera.

Opening presents - Some great homemade balls from Bobby and Susan, and some stuffed animals and baby doll from Mommy and Daddy and Will.

I love seeing these three together. They have so much fun.

Will and Daddy helping Kayla blow out her candle.

The obligatory "eating the cake" pictures. I was surprised at what a neat eater she was. But she seemed to enjoy her cake.

This is my favorite video from the party. She's very subtle at showing her excitement :-)

It's hard to believe that it's been a whole year since Kayla was born. She is such a sweetheart and a joy to our family. Since I was still in school when Will was this age, I feel like I missed out on certain things, so I have been enjoying seeing Kayla go through all of her milestones. She is such a good-natured, happy girl, and we love her so much.

Lots of Love

2010-02-16T09:33:00.008-06:00

When I was in high school our seminary had what was called "Love Week," which usually happened the week of Valentine's Day. We would focus on an aspect of love each day of the week. This last week I decided to do something similar with Will. We started the week off with "Love your family day". Will and I made Valentine pockets for each member of the family, and I came up with the idea of having us write love notes to each other during the week. Then we read them aloud to each other on Valentine's Day.

Later that day we went over to Bobby and Susan's house to have FHE with Susan and Alice (Bobby was in California on business). We had dinner together, then we had a great lesson on feelings, played a fun game, and Will and Alice had fun making silly valentines.

The next two days were "Love your grandparents day" and "Love your cousins day". We made and decorated valentines to send to Will's grandparents, great-grandparents, and cousins. One of these days I'm hoping to branch out and make really crafty valentine's.

Two of the days were supposed to be "Love your friends day" and "Love your teachers day" but we only got as far as making heart-shaped cookies for them (which I took a picture of, but the camera wouldn't let me upload it).

Friday and Saturday Bill and I had our Valentine's Day celebration. On Saturday we all went out to dinner together. As we were leaving there was a guy who was cleaning out a machine at the front of the store that you can get toys out of. He let Will pick out a toy for himself and for Kayla. It was a fun little treat for them and we were grateful to him. Also that day I received a special treat from Bill. The young women of our ward were doing a Valentine fund-raiser for girl's camp. I received a balloon, toffee, cake balls, and a poem with a personal note on the back. Here's a picture of all our treasures.

Sunday was probably my favorite day. The fun started the minute I got up. The night before Bill had gone around the house hiding little love notes for me, and I had fun finding them throughout the day (and I'm still finding some). He hid them in places he knew I would find them, like the bathroom mirror, the computer keyboard, and various other places. He also gave me more chocolate and these pretty flowers

Our Valentine's celebration ended with a yummy dinner made by Bill and a cherry cheesecake that I had made the day before.

It was a wonderful week. Hope everyone had a great Valentine's day too!

Will's Words of Wisdom

2010-02-08T09:01:00.002-06:00

Yesterday after church we were waiting to talk to the bishop. While Bill was in talking with him I was sitting in the foyer with Will. We started having a conversation, and some of the things Will was saying were so funny (at least to me) that I had to write them down.

"This is Jesus' chair" - referring to the chair he was sitting on
"The light is his eyes" - He was looking up at the ceiling and he thought some of the lights and tiles looked like a face
"Jesus can eat the church's grapes" - There is a plant next to the chairs that has little green balls that look like grapes
"Daddy needs his scriptures buckled because this is their car" - referring to Bill's scripture case
"Are grandmas dads?"

Putting things into perspective

2010-02-08T08:55:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I was talking to someone about how frustrated I get sometimes with Will's behavior. I know that a lot of it is normal for a 4-year-old, but it still stresses me out and makes me mad sometimes. This person I was talking to listened to me for a few minutes, then he told me something that I hadn't really thought for a while. He said that someday Will is going to grow up to be an adult and become something great. He then told me a couple of funny stories he had heard about President Monson when he was a little boy. It made me feel a little bit better to hear that even the prophet of the Church wasn't always on his best behavior as a child. So I'm making a new goal to look at Will not as he is right now but as he could be in the future.

When cleaning up becomes an adventure

2010-01-28T11:53:00.002-06:00

I've helped Will clean up his toys a lot, and lately I've made this observation: Cleaning up his toys has become a whole new way of playing with them. Clean-up sometimes takes twice as long because he will be pretending and imagining the whole time. In this picture he is cleaning up his cars and track/road. Every time he would put a piece of track inside the box, he would pretend that the pieces were jumping off a cliff or something. I would hear things like "Just do it!" or "It's ok, don't be scared." It's times like this that I have to wonder what goes on that little head of his.

It finally happened

2010-01-27T16:56:00.002-06:00

*Disclaimer #1: She is not doing this all the time. I just happened to luck out today.
*Disclaimer #2: I am really bad at taking videos by myself. I don't seem to know when to turn the camera off. Thus all the extra random stuff that happens after the first part.

Fun with Daddy

2010-01-18T15:05:00.005-06:00

Will loves to play outside a lot, and he especially loves to play outside with Daddy. So they took advantage of what snow is left on the ground to have some fun together. Can anyone tell what they used for the eyes?

Christmas Trip 2009

2010-01-06T21:29:00.024-06:00

This year we had the opportunity to go back west for Christmas vacation. We spent over two weeks with family and friends, and had an awesome time. Here are some of the highlights (Warning: This post is very long and loaded with pictures and videos).

Pre-Christmas fun
Since we knew we were going out of town we wanted to save suitcase space, so we decided to have a small Christmas at home a couple of days before we left. Thanks to a generous friend, and a great store here in town, we were able to get a number of things for Will and Kayla.

Kayla got to help open one of her presents, which was a pink and white dog. This dog is especially fun because it looks exactly like a brown and white dog that Will got from his Grandma and Grandpa Evans a couple of years ago. They've had fun playing with them together.

Also during the festivities, Bill introduced us all to baklava.

We headed down to St. Louis the next day to catch our first flight on our Christmas journey.

1st stop: Mesa, Arizona
Since a lot of my mom's family currently lives in Mesa, and since my cousin Ryan was getting married a few days before Christmas, we spent about a week in beautiful Arizona. We were lucky to be able to save money and stay with my grandparents, as well as use a car generously loaned to us by my aunt and uncle. We loved being able to be with everyone in the Mesa Temple to see Ryan and Linndsy be sealed (sorry there are no pictures from that day). It was great being with Bill in the sealing room and being reminded of our own special day almost 6 years ago.
We did a lot of things together during the week. Bill and I took Will and Kayla to see The Princess and the Frog while other family members saw Invictus. Then we all went to a fun pizza place called Organ Stop Pizza. I tried to take a couple of pictures with my phone, but they didn't turn out so well. Basically there's a guy who sits at this big organ and plays songs from Broadway, Disney, you name it. And all over the room there are bells, drums, and other musical instruments that make the whole experience really cool.
Also, one of the fun traditions that we have in my family is a musical program on Christmas Eve right after a delicious turkey dinner. Anyone, no matter how old or young they are, can participate, and everyone usually does.

Will even got into it by singing the first verse of "Angels We Have Heard on High."
This little video is just a sample of some of the fun that we have together. My uncle Jeff spent a week on a deserted island by himself (by choice, he wasn't stranded there), and my uncle Terry and aunt Janine wrote a song about his experience.

Christmas day was pretty low-key. We spent most of the morning at my uncle Gary's house with my mom, my sister, and a few cousins and aunts and uncles.

We had another delicious meal together later that day, then spent the rest of the evening eating s'mores and talking in the backyard of my uncle Jeff's house. It was a wonderful week of good talks, laughs, singing, playing, and a great time.

Next stop: Salt Lake City, Utah
The day after Christmas we headed north for Utah. As soon as we got done at the airport, we headed for Bill's parents' apartment. They are currently serving a mission in Salt Lake, so we were lucky enough to spend a lot of time with them. That day we also got to see Bill's brother Jonny and his sister Laura and her family. Michael and Laura are living in Idaho, and Jonny was staying with them for a few days, so they were able to come down for the day. We had a lot of fun chatting and walking around Temple Square.

Will and his cousin Jessica had a great time decorating cookies and playing together

We spent the next week and a half seeing TONS of people and doing a lot of fun things. We were at my grandma and grandpa's house a lot, and some of my cousins were able to stop by. My cousin Ashley, her husband Ethan, and their cute little boy Wyatt stopped by on their way to visit other family. We had fun catching up, since we hadn't seen each other for quite a while.

We also got to see my cousin Michael and his wife Rachel, as well as my aunt Carrie.

We spent a couple of days with some high school friends of mine. First we had a big get-together at my friend Tricia's mom's house. It was so much fun seeing everyone again and meeting spouses and kids. Will had a lot of fun playing with Tricia's little boys, especially Adam, who is exactly his age.

Then we went out to dinner with a group of girls that I grew up with. We missed a couple of the girls who couldn't make it for different reasons, but had fun nonetheless.

(Forgive the horrible picture. This restaurant had a bunch of license plates on the wall behind us)

We took the opportunity to visit BYU a couple of times. We got to see a couple of old professors, a lady that I worked for in the religion department, and Will and Bill had a lot of fun playing in the snow for a while.

We made a couple of special stops on our trip. First we went to visit our former Wymount bishop and his wife. They are wonderful people who helped make our experience as new parents just a little bit easier sometimes.

Our second stop was up in Logan to see Bill's great-aunt Jean. She and Bill have always been close, and she is such a fun, spunky lady. We all had a great time visiting.

We spent a Saturday with Bill's parents and went to Hogle Zoo. It was a relatively warm day and we all had a great time.

In-between all the fun and adventure we spent a lot of down-time at my mom's house, where we were staying. We watched movies with my mom and sister, ate out a little more than we should have, and had a fabulous time.

Last Stop: St. Louis, Missouri
A few days after New Year's we said good-bye to Utah and headed back to the Midwest. We flew into St. Louis, checked into our hotel, then went and spent the evening with our friends Paul and Sarah and their two boys. We ate dinner and talked, and the kids had a great time having an impromptu costume party.

We drove home the next day a little earlier than planned, in anticipation of this:

All in all it was a wonderful trip, and even though we didn't get to see everything or everyone we wanted to, or do all the things we hoped to, we had so much fun and are so grateful for the experiences we had.

And just in case you didn't get enough of this post, here are a few extra videos for your viewing pleasure. The first video is Kayla's first word, the next two are of Daddy and Will playing with one of Will's new toys, and the last one is Daddy and Kayla playing Kayla's new favorite game.

Home for the holidays

2009-12-15T20:07:00.003-06:00

This is where we get to be for Christmas this year:

Mesa, Arizona

Provo/Salt Lake City, Utah

I'm so excited!! Hopefully we'll have plenty of pictures to share when we get back.

Growing up too fast for my taste

2009-11-11T10:32:00.003-06:00

I've decided that life is cruel sometimes. Cruel because it forces babies and children to grow up way too fast. Kayla's 8-month birthday was a few days ago. I can't believe that she's that old already. She is definitely not a newborn anymore. She laughs and smiles constantly, crawls everywhere, pulls herself up on furniture, and is a pro at eating baby food. She adores Will and has learned to be tough against his rough-housing (he desperately needs a brother-or to play with his friends more often). She is such an angel, and I am grateful she is part of our family.

Will is also growing up so quickly. He's such a smart little boy. I think the most impressive thing he does is that he memorizes songs, lines from movies, and books really quickly. He is constantly running around the house quoting things he's heard or seen recently (or even not so recently). He's definitely got a mind of his own and enjoys doing as much as he can by himself. His most recent accomplishment is going to the potty ALL BY HIMSELF. YAY! (Can you tell I'm excited). It's been a long struggle, and he still slips up sometimes, but I would venture to say that he is officially potty-trained. He can be a little difficult at times, but he's a sweet boy and we love him.

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T20:53:00.004-05:00

I feel awful that these pictures aren't the greatest, especially the one of Kayla. I had to take them with the camera on my phone, because our digital camera is on the fritz. If you can't tell, Will is the Sorcerer's apprentice from "Fantasia" and Kayla is a princess. We had fun going to our ward's Trunk-or-Treat on Thursday, and then Will got to go with his cousin Alice to a retirement home for a costume parade on Friday.

The Big 4

2009-10-25T13:58:00.002-05:00

Today is Will's 4th birthday. As my friend JuliAnne commented yesterday at his birthday party, "I can't believe a whole year has gone by since his last birthday party." Will has grown and learned and progressed so much that Bill and I are constantly amazed. In the last year he has become a big brother, started potty-training, advanced from nursery to Primary, gone on his first camping trip with Daddy, learned what sounds the letters of the alphabet make, and countless other things. It makes me happy and proud to see him accomplishing things and learning things, but at the same time I'm sad, because it means that he's growing up. He's had his challenges, especially as he's tried to get used to having a sibling around, but he's still our sweet, active, wonderful little boy and we love him very much. Happy Birthday Will!

Our Lil' All Star

2009-10-07T11:27:00.004-05:00

For the past few weeks Will has been going to a sports-type class at the local rec center. They've done everything from basketball to soccer to gymnastics, which was today's class. Will's had mixed luck as far as understanding what to do, and of course you can't have an activity with a bunch of little kids without a lot of distraction, but he's had a lot of fun, which is the point. I finally managed to get some good pictures and videos today, so enjoy.

Will is throwing a hula hoop around and chasing it.

There was an obstacle course of different gymnastics-type activities, including this balance beam. Will was pretty stubborn and wouldn't stand on the beam and walk. Instead he did this.

Will's favorite activity was the parachute. They did a number of different things with it, as you'll see in the video.

Prophets

2009-09-29T20:57:00.002-05:00

In honor of General Conference coming up, here's a video of Will singing a recent favorite, and showing off his amazing memory skills. Sorry it's so dark.

Six months already?!

2009-09-29T20:29:00.003-05:00

Technically Kayla is almost 7 months old, but I'm a little behind. These first set of pictures are from a fun little 6-month birthday party that we threw for a group of kids who were all born within a few days of each other. Kayla is the oldest of the group, born on March 7. Then there's Allison, born on March 10, and both Jason and Daniel were born on March 11. It was fun to get together with friends and have yummy food.

To me, Kayla is saying "Where did everyone go?"

Everyone brought a dessert to this little gathering. Yummy!

The four guests of honor

He passed!!

2009-09-07T23:47:00.002-05:00

First of all, I apologize to family members who are reading this news more than once. I'm just so excited that I had to blog about it as well. As you all know, Bill is currently doing a PhD in physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. One of the requirements for his department is a qualifying exam, covering 4 different subjects in physics. You get 3 chances to pass the qualifying exam (a free trial that doesn't count against you, then two more chances), and if you don't, you are essentially asked to leave the university. Bill took the exam last week, and it was his final chance. Needless to say, it's been a crazy and stressful few months for our family. Well, tonight we found out that he passed!! As soon as he called me to tell me the news, I felt a huge burden lifted. And I'm not even the one who took the test! We are both so glad that this is finally over, and he can focus on his research and classes, and getting done with this PhD as soon as possible. I'm so proud of you, honey! :-)

A Child's Imagination

2009-09-01T19:42:00.002-05:00

This picture illustrates a tiny bit of Will's imagination lately. In this particular picture he is supposed to be Mickey Mouse from "Fantasia", which is one of his favorite movies these days (I had to call him Mickey for at least an hour tonight). He takes his toys and his stuffed animals and acts things out that he reads and watches. He has an amazing memory, so sometimes this goes on for quite some time. It's really fun to listen in on his conversations while he's in his room playing. He's even gotten me and Bill involved in his imaginary playing. For example, if he does something wrong using one of his stuffed animals, we usually say things like "Kitty, don't hit Kayla," or "Clifford, we don't bang things on the table," and those animals have to go to time-out (i.e. the closet) for a while. What a fun (and sometimes trying) stage this is!

We love care packages!

2009-09-01T19:01:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we got a package in the mail from my grandma Phyllis that was full of stuff for Will and Kayla. They immediately started playing with their toys, and I had to grab the camera and take pictures of them with their "loot."

Kayla's toys included a bunch of fun little balls for her to chew on, as well as a toy that spins around kinda like a ferris wheel, and a stack of rings that makes music when you push on the star on top.

Will has really gotten into letters and the sounds they make lately. So he immediately took his new alphabet flashcards and started putting them in order. It's really cute, because he sings the ABC's to himself while he's doing it, to make sure he has them in the right order.

The whole package, minus the alphabet cards and the balls. There was also a cute photo album of our family, a magnetic Finding Nemo puzzle, and a great workbook that helps with writing and things. I can't wait to use it! Thanks Grandma!

Random cuteness

2009-09-01T18:39:00.004-05:00

This post doesn't have much of a point to it, other than to show off some cute pictures and a video. These first pictures are of Kayla and her friend Allison. Allison's mom, Lisa, was due the day before me, but I ended up having my baby first, 6 days early. She followed about 3 days later, so I was still in the hospital when she had Allison. When you see them together you can definitely see the similarities in their development. I wish I could've gotten better pictures, but you do the best you can when you're taking pictures of wiggly 5-month-olds.

And here's a video of Kayla "crawling" and "talking." She is so close to actually crawling right now. It's more of an army crawl at the moment, but there is movement. And her baby babbling is adorable. I can't wait till she can actually talk.

Sunshine

2009-08-22T20:46:00.004-05:00

Does anyone remember the song "You are my sunshine"? The first verse of that song has taken on new meaning for me in the last few months.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.
You make me happy when skies are gray.
You'll never know, dear, how much I love you.
Please don't take my sunshine away.

A glimpse into our daily life

2009-08-11T21:32:00.005-05:00

We don't have anything very exciting to post about these days, but I decided it had been too long since we last posted anything. So enjoy this short little video and photos of Will and Kayla doing what they do on a regular basis.

Kayla loves zooming around our kitchen, and lately she has had fun exploring the underside of our kitchen table. Will enjoys pulling her around and sometimes joining her on her explorations.

This isn't the best picture of Will holding Kayla, but you get the idea. Now that she can sit up a lot better, it's a little more fun for them to sit with each other.

Kayla's "New" Toy

2009-07-23T23:51:00.005-05:00

I put new in quotes, because this belonged to Will first, but it has now become Kayla's. She has been using it for the past week or two, and seems to enjoy it. And I enjoy the fact that, #1, I don't have to carry her around everywhere, and #2, I can drag her around the house with me and keep an eye on her.

Here she is checkin' out her new ride for the first time

I love how she only knows how to go one direction

Don't you just love her drool and spit-up stained shirt?

And finally, here are Will and Kayla during one of their friendlier moments

The Church is True

2009-07-22T15:04:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Will and I went down to the office of our apartment complex to play in their toy room for a little while. Before going in, we decided to quickly check the mail. Instead of the usual junk mail, ads and bills that usually grace our mailbox, there was something infinitely greater - The Ensign magazine. Glad to have some reading material on hand while Will happily played and Kayla peacefully slept, I embarked on my customary routine of opening and reading from start to finish. As usual, there were countless numbers of uplifting articles, stories, and advice from Church leaders and members alike. However, one particular article caught my eye, and strengthened my testimony of the fact that Heavenly Father knows who we are and answers our prayers. I have had this happen on a number of occasions in the past. I will be struggling with something either personally or within my family, I will ask Heavenly Father for help, and He answers. I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father is aware of my struggles and is always willing to help. I know He loves me and wants me to be happy. I am grateful to be a member of the Church.

I had a dream...

2009-07-10T10:38:00.003-05:00

and 5 years ago it came true. I married one of the most wonderful people in the world. And 5 years and 2 kids later, we're still going strong. We've had good times and bad times, we've had our share of struggles, but through it all we've had each other, and there's no one else I'd rather spend forever with. Thank you, Bill, for being my friend, my confidant, my cheerleader, the father of my childen, and the love of my life. I love you!!

Five Years! -- I love you Sweetie

2009-07-09T21:13:00.003-05:00

Wow! I have a hard time believing that it's already been 5 years since Kristin and I got married! Time flies when you're having fun. Sweetie, I love you more and more every day. I can't tell you how grateful I am that you came into my life. You are my sweetheart, my dream, and my best friend. I love having you as my wife and the mother of our family. I can't believe it's already been five years, but at the same time I can't imagine what life could have been like without you any more. I really am so grateful to have the best wife in the world. I love how you work to make everyone feel loved. I love how you keep me going even when I lose all motivation to do so. I love how you work to raise Will into the young man that he needs to be and that you know he can be. I love seeing the love in your eyes when you look at Kayla, and how much she loves you back. I love how you try to make even every day things special. You really are the love of my life, the joy in my heart, my best friend, forever. I love you sweetie. Happy fifth anniversary!

A Day at the Zoo, A Baby Blessing, and Other Adventures

2009-07-09T21:11:00.005-05:00

Kristin usually does the posts, but today it's my (Bill's) turn. We've had some trouble getting our most recent pictures off of the camera, so some of this information is a bit late, but here it is.

A Trip to the Zoo
A few weeks ago we took a trip to the Scovill Zoo in Decatur. We had been planning a trip to the zoo in St. Louis for a long time, but we just recently had learned about this one that was a lot closer.

We had a great time at the zoo. Will loved the lion drinking fountain. I think if that was all we could get him to see, he would have gone away satisfied. Fortunately, we were able to get him away long enough to see some real animals -- some quite up close.

Others (fortunately) from a greater distance:

It was a great day for going to the zoo. A lot of the animals were really active.

Others less so

Some people got feeling a little less energetic as well.

(This was Kayla's first time in the umbrella stroller, and she did really well!)
We had a great time seeing all the different animals. I think Will was a little less enthusiastic about the reptile house.

He did enjoy the prairie dogs (but he kept trying to figure out why these "dogs" weren't like his dogs back home),

and he absolutely loved seeing the train at the zoo!

We finished off the trip with snowcones at the concessions stand.

(I really liked the snowcones -- Hey! It's hard to find good snowcones around anymore!)
We also had a great time at the zoo's playground.

All together, it was a lot of fun, and we can't wait to go back.

Baby Blessing

Just last week Kayla was given a name and a blessing during fast and testimony meeting at our church. It was a really wonderful experience. We were really glad to have a lot of friends and family there. Kristin's sister Erika and her dad were able to come out for the blessing, as were my parents. My brother and his family were there, of course, since they live here in town. It was also so much fun being able to share the experience with other members of our family via phone or on the computer.

During the week, we had a lot of fun with the people who came out. My parents took everyone out to Busey Woods. (Sadly, I had to work that day.)

Busey Woods is a park here in town that is a lot like a deep hardwood forest, but right in the middle of town. They have a great boardwalk, so it's not hard to get around. Will and his cousin Alice had a great time playing and looking at all the fun things.

They also got a little silly from time to time.

Everyone had a great time.

Later in the week, we spent a lot of time with my family and then with Kristin's dad and sister. (Sorry, we didn't get too many pictures here.) After church on Sunday we all got together at my brother's house for a nice Sunday dinner. It was a lot of fun getting everyone together like that.

Later, back at our house, Will loved learning how to use Kristin's dad's iPhone.

(Seriously, this kid will be re-programming our computer before 2nd grade!) It was a lot of fun, and it was hard to see everyone head out on Monday. We love you all!

Haircut!
[Cue the scary music here!] Well, Kristin's been cutting Will's hair for the past 3 1/2 years (which is why it's always looked so good). His hair had been getting pretty long, so we wanted to give it another quick trim before the baby blessing. Will, however, was feeling a little extra fussy that day and did not want to let Mommy cut his hair. So, I decided that I would give it a shot. He usually sits a little more still for me, but, as we quickly learned, that did not dramatically help my lack of hair-cutting talent. In the end, it looked ok, but I think next time, we'll plan ahead so Kristin has time to cut his hair and make it look good.
Before:

After:

Well, now you can see why I'm not allowed to use scissors for a while. (Actually it didn't look as bad as the picture made it seem. It really did turn out ok, as you can see from the earlier photos.)

Mommy wow, I'm a big kid now!

2009-07-01T16:27:00.003-05:00

You know you're a true mom when you have a post like this. Will is doing AMAZING with potty training! He even managed to let me know at least twice the other day that he needed to go, without me saying anything first. There are still the occasional accidents, and it'll be a while before we get the nighttime stuff down, but I am so excited about his progress.

Please excuse the horribly dark picture. I wanted to get a picture of his "potty chart" to show off all the stars that he got, but somehow Will ended up in the shadows. Oh well.

More Birthday Fun

2009-06-28T21:52:00.005-05:00

One cool thing about me and Bill is that our birthdays are only 12 days apart, so we have a lot of fun celebrating our birthdays around the same time. This year we were down in St. Louis for my birthday. And, as always, it was a lot of fun. One unique thing that happened on this trip is that we got our hotel upgraded. Recently we've been using "name your own price" on Priceline, and we've gotten some pretty great deals. This time we were originally supposed to stay at the Marriott. However, when we got there they told us that they had overbooked because of a conference or something, so there were no longer any rooms available. To make it up to us, they got us rooms here:

The Hilton St. Louis Frontenac

It is a beautiful hotel, and we both wished that we could have stayed there more than just one night.

Since that day was my birthday, Bill surprised me with a few great gifts. First he gave me a beautiful card with a sweet message inside. Then he gave me a big box of chocolates that we were able to share together. His last gift was a beautiful ring to temporarily replace my wedding ring, which for some reason I haven't been able to wear.

The next day we were able to go to the temple with Bobby and Susan. Bill, Will and Alice joined up with a Primary group who were doing different activities around the temple while Kayla and I hung out in the ancillary building. We had a wonderful session together, then we joined Bobby and Susan at the Magic House. This is a MASSIVE building with TONS of things to do. Susan and I decided that it would probably take months to get through everything enough that you were bored with it. Will and Alice had a great time. Unfortunately most of the pictures I took didn't turn out that great, but here are a few that are ok.

This is a horrible angle, but Will had a lot of fun pretending to shop at the grocery store.

Please excuse the lady on the left. This place is really crowded, so it was a little difficult to get a good picture without having other people in it.

And to top off the birthday weekend, Bobby and Susan were nice enough to make me a yummy birthday cake that we got to enjoy together today after church. It was an awesome weekend and we all had a lot of fun.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T11:43:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to all the men and fathers out there who have touched my life or my family's life. Specifically my dad, father-in-law, grandfathers, brothers-in-law, uncles, cousins, and of course my wonderful husband. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing examples. Thank you all for being in my life and for all you do for your own families. We love you.

Where does the time go?

2009-06-19T14:57:00.003-05:00

I was changing Kayla's diaper earlier, and when I was done I put her on her tummy for a minute. As soon as she was down, she tried turning over. I don't remember Will doing this so early!! She didn't quite make it all the way, but it made for a good excuse to take a cute video.

"You've had a birthday, shout hooray"

2009-06-15T21:03:00.008-05:00

Who knew silly Primary songs made good blog post titles :-) Anyway, as mentioned previously, yesterday was Bill's birthday. We had fun celebrating yesterday and today.

Sorry for the horribly dark picture. I got up early Sunday morning and decorated part of the kitchen. I made a sign that said "Happy Birthday Daddy", then put a balloon next to where Bill sits.

I made a pancake breakfast for Bill, which has turned into a birthday tradition (the birthday person gets to pick what they want for breakfast). Will helped me pick out Bill's balloon, and has decided that he's the one that gets to play with it, which is why he is holding it.

A side view of Bill's birthday cake. We had Bobby and Susan and Alice over for cake and ice cream. We love getting together with them, and this was a perfect excuse to do so.

For those who don't know, June 14th is Flag Day, so I made a flag cake. I was pretty happy with it, and it tasted pretty good too.

And of course, the birthday boy with his cake. Hope you had a fun birthday honey!

On this day in history

2009-06-14T07:16:00.002-05:00

A great man was born...my husband Bill. And boy, are we lucky that he was! He is such a wonderful husband and father. He unselfishly gives of his time, even when he doesn't have any, for his family. He loves me unconditionally, even on my emotional roller coaster days. He works hard at whatever it is he's doing. He is always willing to serve others. He's just a great person all around. Will, Kayla, and I love you honey! Happy Birthday!

All you ever wanted to know about me and more

2009-06-12T11:14:00.003-05:00

I saw this on a friend's Facebook page and thought it looked like fun.

1. How old will you be in five years? 33

2. Who did you spend at least two hours with today? Will

3. How tall are you? About 5 feet, if that

4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks? Celebrating Bill's birthday, Father's day, my birthday, having some of our family here for Kayla's blessing, celebrating our anniversary

5. What's the last movie you saw in theaters? Night at the Museum 2

6. Who was the last person you called? Bill

7. Who was the last person to call you? My sister-in-law

8. What was the last text message you received? My sister telling me she was bored

9. Who was the last person to leave you a voicemail? I think it was Bill

10. Would you rather call or text? Call

11. Are you going to give out your cell number here? Nope

12. Are your parents married/separated/divorced? Divorced

13. When is the last time you saw your mom? Last summer

14. When is the last time you saw your dad? Last summer

15. Have you ever been to a concert? Quite a few

16. What are you wearing right now? Exercise clothes

18. Where is your favorite place to be? Anywhere with my family

19. Where is your least favorite place to be? The grocery store - especially when I'm hungry :-)

20. Africa-New Zealand-Japan? New Zealand

21. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years? Hopefully done with graduate school, in a real house, and busy with lots of fun stuff

22. Do you tan or burn? Depends on if I remember to put on sunscreen

23. What did you fear as a child? Snakes, spiders, thunder, heights - those are also current fears

24. What was the last thing that really made you laugh? Being silly with Kayla

25. How many TV's do you have in your house? If you count our computer, two

26. How big is your bed? Queen

27. Do you have a laptop or desktop computer? Desktop

28. Do you sleep with or without clothes on? With, duh!

29. What color are your sheets? Flowered

30. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two

31. Whats your favorite beer? Rootbeer

32. What do you like about fall? Will's birthday and Thanksgiving

33. What do you like about winter? Christmas, Bill getting a month off from school

34. What do you like about the summer? Playing outside, Bill being less busy

35. What do you like about spring? How pretty everything becomes

36. How many states have you lived in? 2, including current state

37. What cities/towns have you lived in? Orem, Provo, Urbana, Savoy

38. Do you prefer shoes, socks, or bare feet? bare feet

39. Are you a social person? Only with people I know really well

40. What was the last thing you ate? Crackers and cheese

41. What are your plans for tonight? Shopping and maybe going out for ice cream

42. Plans for tomorrow? Cleaning, planning Bill's birthday and Father's day

43. What are you listening to? Will and his cousin playing

44. Who was the last person you im'd? Erika

45. What instant messenger service do you use? Facebook and Skype

46. How is your hair currently? Short and straight

47. Are you wearing shoes? No

48. How many glasses of water, a day, do you drink on average? I drink out of one of those big water bottles from the hospital, so I don't know what that would be equivalent to in glasses

49. What do you drink in the morning? Milk or juice

51. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? If you're facing the bed, it's the left

52. Do you know how to play poker? Nope

53. Do you like to cuddle? Definitely

55. Favorite TV show? Of all time? Dancing with the Stars Now? Ugly Betty

56. Do you eat out or at home more often? At home

57. What are you currently drinking? Nothing at the moment, but usually water or milk

58. Do you know anyone with the same birthday as you? My cousin's little boy

59. Do you want kids? Already have two, and would like at least a couple more

60. Have you ever been to a live television show taping? Yes

61. Have you ever gotten stitches? Yes

62. Have you ever ridden in a fire truck? No

63. Do you prefer the ocean or a pool? I'll say pool only because I haven't been to the ocean since I was a little girl

64. Do you prefer a window seat or an aisle seat? Window

65. Do you know how to drive a stick? Nope

66. What is your favorite thing to spend money on? Presents for my family

67. Do you wear any jewelry 24/7? My "pretend" wedding ring (The real one doesn't fit right now, so I just wear one that I've had for a long time)

68. Have you ever broken a bone? Don't remember

69. If yes, how.

70. Where are you going to be working this summer? At my house, at the park, at the church, wherever Will wants to go

71. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? No

72. What is the main ring tone on your phone? Just the standard ring

73. Do you still have clothes from when you were little? I don't personally, but I'm sure my parents or grandparents do

74. What is the closest red object to you? The light at the bottom of the mouse

75. Do you turn off the water while you brush your teeth? Yep

76. Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed? Closed, cause that's where Kayla sleeps

77. Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees? Uhh....bear I guess

78. Last food you bought? Dinner at Culver's

79. Last movie you watched? Toy Story 2

80. What color is your swim suit? Don't have one at the moment

81. Can you change the oil on a car? Only if someone is right next to me walking me through it :-)

82. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? Nope

83. Have you ever ran out of gas in the car? Nope

84. Favorite Candy? Take 5, Snickers, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey's...I'm a chocoholic

85. What was the last book you read? In the middle of re-reading the Harry Potter books. On the 5th one right now.

86. Do you read the newspaper? Only if it's around the house

87. Do you read any magazines? Ensign, Children's Friend, Parents, Better Homes and Gardens, People

88. What was the last thing to make you laugh out loud? Watching Will and my niece Alice dance together

89. What do you fear most? That someone in my family will get hurt

90. Do you dance in the car? Not really, mostly just singing

91. What radio station do you listen to? Mix 94.5

92. Who is in the picture frame closest to you? There are 3 all next to each other - One family picture, one of just me and Bill, and one of Will by himself

93. What was the last note you scribbled on a piece of paper? Ideas for Will's Primary talk

94. What is your favorite candle scent? Anything citrus

95. What is your favorite board game? Sequence

96. What time is it? 11:16 am

97. What is on the wall directly to the right of you? A painting done by Bill's grandpa

98. Who was your favorite teacher in middle school? Mrs. Thompson

99. What is the longest you have ever camped out in a tent? A week (girl's camp)

100. Who was the last person to text you? Erika

And here are a couple of pictures of my cute kids for making it through this long post

The Gospel According to Will

2009-06-10T15:42:00.002-05:00

I was helping Will write his Primary talk yesterday, and I thought I'd share some of his words of wisdom.

Me: "Will, do you know what faith is?"
Will: "Faith is Clifford" - We had a quick lesson on faith after this

Me: "Do you feel happy or sad when you make a bad choice?"
Will: "I feel sad"
Me: "Do you think Heavenly Fathers is happy or sad when we choose the right?"
Will: "Happy"

I think he's going to do a great job on Sunday, don't you?

She's even cute when she's sleeping!

2009-06-04T12:02:00.003-05:00

I seriously can't get over how cute this little girl is.

She's going to hate me for this one when she's 16 :-)

Our smart boy

2009-06-01T21:10:00.006-05:00

Please forgive the overabundance of blog posts the last few days. I guess I'm making up for lost time. Anyway, here's a video of Will saying his scripture that he gave in Primary a little while ago.

Movies and Me

2009-06-01T12:12:00.003-05:00

I saw this on a few of my friends' blogs, and I thought it was fun, so I thought I'd add my two cents to the blogging world.

Cheesiest movie you'll actually admit to liking

-Galazy Quest. I've always liked both Tim Allen and Alan Rickman, so having them both in the same movie was fun. It's funny, it's corny, you gotta love it.

Movie everyone else loves that you don't

-Indiana Jones. Any of them. I don't know why, I just can't get into these movies.

Movie you've seen recently that you would NOT recommend
-Intolerable Cruelty. Technically I saw this movie a few years ago, and technically I didn't actually see the whole movie, because my mom and my sister and I walked out of it after about 10 minutes. Let's just say that the 10 minutes I did see were horrible. Maybe the title of the movie should have tipped me off about the content.

Movie you own that no one else has heard of

-Split Infinity. I don't technically own this movie at the moment, but since my dad helped with the music, and since my family owns it, I think it counts. It's a really cute movie from Feature Films for Families that I have always liked.

Movie you could watch over and over again

-I couldn't decide between Little Women and Charly. I have seen both of these movies a million times, and Little Women still makes me feel good and happy, and Charly still makes me cry like a baby.

Favorite Christmas movie

Jim Carrey's version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I love the older version also, but Jim Carrey is hilarious.

It has begun...for real this time

2009-05-30T17:58:00.002-05:00

Those of you who are avid readers of our blog may remember my woes about potty training in the past. Let's just say, not a great experience for any of us. Well, thanks to some experienced mothers (namely my grandma and aunt, who came to visit us this last week), we have re-started the whole adventure. The first day-Wednesday-was fabulous. Will went in the potty twice and we all got so excited. Unfortunately, since then, there hasn't been anything. BUT, I am committed this time, Will is now wearing pull-ups during the day, and we will conquer!!

Cutie Pie Kayla

2009-05-29T23:01:00.003-05:00

I am so excited to have a daughter, I can't even tell you. It is so much fun to dress her up in pink, purple, red, lace, frills, you name it. And she is just the cutest little girl I have ever seen. I don't remember just sitting and staring at Will like I do with Kayla. Obviously I love Will just as much as I love Kayla, but there's just something different. Here are some of my recent favorite pictures of our little cutie pie.

Fresh from the bathtub. This picture is from just a couple of days ago when my aunt Jill and Grandma Phyllis came and visited for a few days. They loved Kayla just as much as we do.

I love that you can see the big burp-up stain on the front of her shirt. We have affectionately named her "The Camel" because she eats A TON and then spits up about 3 seconds later.

People are always commenting on her big beautiful eyes. So far they have stayed blue, but we'll see what happens in the next few months. Personally, I'm hoping they will continue to be blue. Will's did, and for some reason I just love blue eyes.

I love Kayla's lips in this picture. Ever since she was born she has done that and I think it's absolutely adorable.

There are way more pictures that we have taken of her, but that will have to be another day. But needless to say, we love having Kayla in our family. She is such a sweet, calm, happy little girl, and we love her.

Fathers and Sons

2009-05-29T15:51:00.004-05:00

Ok, so technically Bill should be posting about this, but since he's a little busy these days, I've taken the liberty of posting for him. He and Will went to the Fathers and Sons camping trip a few weeks ago and, according to Bill, had a great time.

Sorry for the dark picture. This is Will and Bill in their tent.

Touch a Truck

2009-05-29T15:37:00.009-05:00

Some of you may remember a similar post last year about Touch A Truck Day. We decided to make it an annual thing, so here are some pictures from that experience. Luckily Bill was able to come with us again, otherwise, for one thing, we may not have even gone, and we would definitely not have gotten so many great pictures. Most of these pictures are from Bill taking Will around while Kayla and I hung out in the shade and had some girl time.

If I remember correctly, the motorcycle was Will's favorite thing.

I was hoping that we would be able to convince Will to be a fireman for Halloween, but just days after Touch a Truck Day his free fire hat was in pieces. Was I asking too much of a 3-year-old boy to keep something like that in one piece for 5-6 months? I didn't think so, but apparently Will had other ideas.

As unflattering as this picture is, here is proof that I was actually there.

Back For Good

2009-05-29T14:51:00.002-05:00

Finally!! After 5 long months of being without Internet (or a working computer in general, for that matter) at home, we have gotten things hooked up and working. So this post is mostly to say that we're back in business and that we'll be posting more regularly again. I'm excited to get back into blogging, and to catch up on the hundreds (literally) of posts that I haven't looked at. As soon as I find all the pictures that we've taken over the last few months, I'll find them and post them so you can all admire our beautiful children :-) For now, have a great day!