Annual Bear Lake Vacation

We have had a busy summer and one of these days I will get around to updating about t-ball, our garden, huckleberries, etc. But for now I need to add a picture of our whole family. This is one of the only pictures we took on our vacation. We had so much fun that I forgot about the camera! This picture was taken at Bloomington Lake near Bear Lake. Don't be surprised if you see it on a Christmas card. It's one of my favorites of all of us.

Goodbye Crib

Payton is a big girl now. I made her crib into the toddler bed and she loves it! I was worried it would be a hard adjustment, but it has been super easy.

Sydney is six-years-old!

Wow. I am old! I can't believe Sydney is six. Unfortunately I only have one picture of the occassion. She was being camera shy on her birthday. But, we had a fun day with friends and family. Sydney even decorated her own butterfly cake.

Camping disaster

We decided to become campers! For a while we will be tent campers. I am ok with that, but it means we are also fair weather campers! Last Friday we got all ready and went camping. It was cloudy, but nice. We set up our tent, we walked around, we had dinner with Melissa and Adam. It was great-- until about 7pm. Just as Brian and Adam were getting a fire ready some crazy looking clouds started moving in, fast. As soon as the clouds reached us all H-E-double-hockey-sticks broke loose. The wind collapsed Melissa and Adam's tent, Brian held on to ours, it started raining and Sydney started screaming because of the wind. As all this was going on, my phone rang and Brian's phone rang. Both our parents were calling to see if we were ok. My dad advised us to pack up and go home because of the weather advisory he was watching on the news. Then we looked at the clouds that make our decision for us. The clouds above us were swirling in a circle. I really thought we were going to witness a tornado. So, we packed up as fast as we could and went home. Sydney cried most of the way home (Payton slept through it all!) but was fine after a while. When we got home Syd was so upset about missing out on s'mores that I made her one in the microwave. I think it helped! Anyway, moral of the story as quoted by Sydney, "Maybe you should check the weather before we go camping." Nice, advice from the six-year-old.

Kindergarten Graduation

Sydney has had a great year at school. She has learned so much. I can't believe how fast this year went. Unfortunately we had a misunderstanding about when first grade would start: On the last day of school I told Sydney we could go out to lunch to celebrate. She was so excited. On the way to lunch she listed our upcoming events: No school Thursday, camping Friday, her Birthday Saturday, church on Sunday and then, "First grade on Monday." Uh-oh. I thought we'd talked about summer break, but obviously not how long it is. I tried to explain that before first grade we had a fun summer and she wouldn't go back to school until August--after Payton's birthday. She immediately burst into tears. I am just glad that she likes school so much!!

Too cute for words

Cheesey

Last week I took a brick of cheese out of the fridge to make sandwiches for lunch. As I got ready to slice some cheese, I noticed it looked funny. Something was wrong with one corner. As I looked more closely I could see distinct little teeth marks. I asked Sydney if she'd taken a bite out of the cheese. At first she denied it, but then she shrugged and said, "I wanted some cheese." What?? Where did she learn that?? I reprimanded her (trying not to laugh) and called Brian and let me him laugh about it. The pictures do not do it justice, but here they are anyway.

Payton's mishap

Payton is well known for bumps and bruises and running into things. A few weeks ago she was sitting on our back steps and leaned too far forward and rolled off. She had a huge goose egg, a cut on her nose and a cut by her eye that turned into a black eye. Brian immediately wanted to take a picture. Payton tried so hard to smile for the camera as she cried.

Warm Weather Fun

This was one of the first warm days in May. Our rule is it has to be 80 degrees outside to play in the water. It was WELL BELOW 80 on this particular day, but the girls were so excited for warm weather that we bent the rule and they played in the sprinkler, but didn't have swimsuits on.

Easter Egg Hunt with Cousins

I know, Easter was a long time ago. But, we have some really cute pictures of the kids that I wanted to post.

Once again some of my pictures didn't load. I might have to try something else!

Our projects

We have been working on a lot of things around our house in the past few months. Here are some pictures of our projects:

P.S. I had a hard time getting my pictures to load, so a lot are missing. But, all three of the projects are finished. My wall is finally done and I really like the way it turned out. Our basement carpet is so much better than the industrial stuff that was there before and our backyard looks like a jungle. The grass is growing like crazy. I think I am finally able to mow it!

A Princess, a crown and a throne

We are potty training. Payton loves to sit on the toilet, but she also likes to have toys around her. When we first started, she would only sit on the little toilet in her room. Luckily we have moved up. She sits on the regular toilet in the bathroom and is ok that the toys can't come.

Finally some GOOD News!

Last night while I was at work, our pediatrician called and talked to Brian. Our doctor and a local Urologist have been examining Sydney's urinalysis and CAT Scan. They decided that she probably got an infection somewhere in her body (maybe when she had the stomach flu really bad in March) and the infection went to her Kidneys. So, Sydney is taking two 10 day rounds of antibiotics and hopefully she'll be better and back to her normal self. It has been so hard to see her like this. She just hasn't been our little girl for a month and a half. Thank you for all of your prayers and phone calls. We really appreciate all of the support from you, our friends and family.

Our sweet Sydney

UPDATE: The CAT Scan was performed last Thursday. So far here is what we know: Something is wrong with Sydney's kidneys. It is not an infection, and doctors are unsure what exactly is wrong. We are waiting for a Urologist to look at the CAT Scan and Urinalysis before we do anything else. On a good note, Sydney has had a few good days in a row. She has been to school yesterday and today. Hooray!

UPDATE: Since writing the below, Sydney's blood work has come back. She is anemic. She is taking an iron supplement, but still not doing any better. So, the CAT Scan is scheduled for tomorrow morning. Keep her in your prayers!

As some of you may know our little Sydney is having some health issues right now. We are not sure exactly what is the matter, but are hoping and praying it is nothing serious. Just keep us in your prayers!
Now, I am not writing this entry for sympathy, but to show you that even during stressful times, funny things can happen! Yesterday we went to the doctor-- again. Last week Sydney had an X-ray of her abdomen. This time the doctor decided to have some blood work done and he talked about a possible CAT Scan. It always surprises me how closely Sydney is listening. After we left the office, Sydney asked, "What will the kitty x-ray be like?" How cute is that?? I can just see her picturing a cat and an x-ray machine and wondering how in the world that will help her get better?? What a sweet girl. LOVE YOU SYDNEY!!

It's just an expression.

This morning Payton woke up in a not-so-happy-mood. She was having a fit and I said, "Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the crib." From the other room Sydney said, "What side should she have gotten up on?" So serious, so innocent and enough to send me into a fit-- of laughter! I explained to Syd that it was just an expression, but I am still not sure she got it.

Brian's Reputation

Brian is probably now known as the meanest guy in our neighborhood! A title he is proud of....On Tuesday night at 1 a.m. we were rudely awakened by our doorbell. We were pretty sure we knew who it was because we had recently told some kids not to skateboard in our driveway. Anyway, we were very upset. Last night we had just gone to bed and the doorbell rang just before midnight. Brian was ANGRY! He ran to the window and came back gleeful. "Those stupid kids forgot about the snow. I can see their footprints all the way back to their house. I'm going over there!" He got dressed and was about to leave when the same kids started walking up the driveway to ring the bell again (we didn't even bother opening the door the first time because we knew no one was there.) Anyway, Brian ran to the door and opened it. The kids froze and then started running away. Brian yelled at them that if they didn't come back he'd call the police. They came and also ratted out the other friend that was still hiding. Can you imagine how angry and yet joyful Brian was at this moment? Well, he didn't call the police, but he did explain to them that we didn't appreciate it, our kids were sleeping, etc. Then, he said, "Let's go talk to your dad." The one girl about died. She said her dad was sleeping. Brian asked if he'd appreciate having to wake up. She said no. He told the kids to go home and never do it again. They said sorry and quickly went home. Brian came back to bed angry but laughing, too. I think he relishes the idea that the neighborhood hooligans are scared of him!

My bad...

Sydney's favorite candy is 'Good & Plenty'. I must admit, they are also one of my favorites. Brian bought her some yesterday and she still has some left today. After lunch, Brian put some in a container for her to eat. I was with Payton and Sydney came up to me with a piece of 'stunted' Good & Plenty. (You know, the ones that are more round than long.) Anyway, she put it in my hand and I thought she was sharing. I ate it! MY BAD!!! As soon as I put it in my mouth I knew I had made a mistake. Oops! She meant for me to look at the piece of candy and admire the awesome shape. Dang it! Then, I made an even more tragic mistake. I started laughing. I mean really laughing. Like, tears and everything. Sydney had the most devastated look on her face. She ran crying into her bedroom and shut the door. After my laughing fit was over, I dumped out the rest of the package of Good & Plenty and found not one but TWO 'stunted' pieces. Hooray for me!! Sydney lovingly held the pieces of candy and life is good again.

Little Ears

My sister is having a baby as I type! I told Brian when he came home from work that my sister is in the hospital and the doctor is going to break her water. Sydney walked into the room just in time to hear 'break' and 'water'. She looked at me and said, "It better not be my water bottle that is broken!"
I know it's silly, but I am still laughing!! I had to write this incident down.

Sydney learned a new word

I am getting ready to paint my bedroom. I spend a good portion of yesterday afternoon taping. As I am sure many of you have experienced with your own children, my children gravitate toward whatever area of the house I am in. I had to move my bed to the middle of the room so I could tape behind it. I hide birthday and Christmas presents under my bed. When I moved the bed I made sure to keep all of the stuff under it hidden. Normally it works great because my kids aren't ever in my room. You know what happened, right? Sydney was playing with Payton and started 'looking' around. She pulled out her birthday present (not suppose to see it till June) and gleefully squeals, "Is this for me???" I didn't hesitate or crack a smile, "Nope, it's for someone else." The delighted expression on her face crashed. "Oh." And she put it back under my bed. Then I taught her a new word, "SNOOP". I explained (hopefully in a nice way) that looking in places that don't belong to you is called snooping. She still looked kind of confused so I told her that she'd know when she was snooping because the Holy Ghost would tell her she was doing something wrong. Anyway, I hope she understands. And I really hope she forgets about the birthday present before June rolls around!

I'll keep my mouth shut!

Sydney lost a tooth Sunday evening. It was the first tooth to fall out on its own. The previous two had to be pulled by the dentist. Sydney was so excited to lose this tooth. She told us that on Monday morning she would tell her friends and her teacher about the tooth. She said, "I am just going to keep my mouth shut and my teacher will be so surprised!" Now, I know that Syd meant her teacher would be surprised about the missing tooth, but it sounded like she meant her teacher would be surprised that she could keep her mouth shut! And, honestly, I bet that would surprise her teacher just as much as a missing tooth. Sydney has never been a shy child. LOVE YOU SYDNEY!!

A new twist on Multi-tasking!

This post requires no pictures. Scratch that, YOU DON'T WANT PICTURES!!

A few nights ago Sydney was taking an especially long time brushing her teeth before bedtime. Brian opened the bathroom door to check on her and found her sitting on the toilet, going to the bathroom, and brushing her teeth at the same time. It gets worse... Brian opened the door just in time to see Sydney spit into the toilet. GROSS!!!!!
I only dare share this horrifying experience in hopes that you have witnessed similar 'creative' multi-tasking endeavors by your own children.

Scroll down to look at all 7 new posts!

The faith of children

Last night the girls were getting ready for bed. I called and told them to get ready for family prayer. Sydney came into the living room, but I couldn't find Payton. I finally found her kneeling in the dark at Sydney's bed (where we usually have prayers.) At 18 months she already knows what we are suppose to do.

Sledding Fun

In the past few days we have gotten a lot of snow. We haven't really gotten any snow since Christmas so it was starting to melt and look awful. Now we have a winter wonderland. I love snow (Brian does not). On Saturday, Sydney and I went sledding with my sisters and their spouses. It was too cold to take Payton so Brian volunteered to keep her with him. (I think he liked having an excuse! j/k I know he would have loved to come with us.) Anyway, we had a great time. My youngest sister, Chelsey (in the blue coat) is due to have her first baby in March. You can't even tell! Lucky!!

"I look like Barbie"

Sydney loves to do make-up. She goes so wild with it that I don't very often let her get it out. But last week she talked me in to it. When she was finished she came up to me and said, "How do I look? I look like Barbie." Wow! I agreed and immediately took pictures.



When Brian got home Syd still had her make-up on. Brian walked through the door and stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw Sydney. He got a confused look on his face and said, "Syd, what's all over your face?" I quickly piped up from the kitchen, "She did her own make-up and she looks just like Barbie." Brian caught on (finally, good grief, Dad!) and told her she did a great job. Then, trying not to laugh, he came into the kitchen and burst out laughing. I'm just glad Sydney didn't know what we were laughing about!

Silly Sisters

Now that Payton is getting a little older, it is fun to watch Sydney and Payton have fun together. Usually they get along well. Only occasionally do we have tears. Sydney does get frustrated with Payton. One day Sydney came crying to me and said, "When will Payton be big? I want her to do what I want to do." I made the mistake of telling Sydney that Payton will probably never do just what she wants because Payton is her own person. Of course, that brought more tears! But usually these pictures are what I get to see every day!

Exactly what I said to do...

These pictures obviously have a story. One day a few weeks ago I went to Sam's Club and bought a big box of diapers. You know, the kind with close to 200 diapers in 4 separate tubes. I didn't have time to put the box of diapers away before Sydney got home from school . She volunteered to put the diapers away. I was glad for the help. I opened the box and gave Sydney the 4 plastic tubes of diapers. I asked her to put the diapers on the white shelves in Payton's closet. Syd came back a while later and proudly announced that she was done. I thanked her and went on with my day. A while later I needed to change Payton and went to get a diaper. This is what I saw:





Obviously Sydney had taken my instructions a little too literally. I did not mean for her to open all four tubes and stuff 200 diapers in the shelves. Oh well!

P.S. It has been nearly 3 weeks and I am still pulling diapers out of the shelves, a little mangled, but still usable!

Too Cute!

I have nothing to say about these pictures. They are just so typical of Payton. Cute, happy, and sitting at the table, but not eating!

TaVaci Performance

Just before Christmas Sydney's performance choir had a recital. The kids were so cute. They all have matching outfits and sang songs with fun choreography. For her first performance, we got Sydney flowers. She was so excited. She named her flowers and was very sad when they went away.

It's here!

Our new computer just arrived this morning. As soon as Brian gets everything transferred over we'll be up and running! Give me a couple days and I'll have some fun pictures on our blog. Here are some possible titles for a few of the pictures: "I look like Barbie" and "Sledding Fun"

A Guilty Conscience

Every day we have quiet time. This usually lasts from 12:30 to 1:30 or 2:00. During this time Payton takes a nap and sometimes I take a nap or read or whatever. It's kind of my 'alone time'. I love it. Anyway, Sydney can watch cartoons or play quietly in her room. Usually she's really good about quiet time. But just this week she has learned that quiet time means no one is watching her. Today I took a nap. I woke up to answer the phone and noticed that my bedroom door was closed. I never close my door because I want to be able to hear everything. I got up and opened my door and smelled popcorn. Sydney had popped herself a bag of popcorn. I don't mind her having a snack, but she knows that we do not have food during quiet time. Plus, I do not let her use the microwave without my supervision. When I confronted Sydney about it, she said that is why she closed my door, so I wouldn't know! Then she proceeded to tell me what else she had done. She said there was not much milk left in the gallon so she made herself a glass of strawberry milk. She was so proud of herself for pouring it in a cup, adding a scoop of strawberry mix and sitting at the table and drinking it. What a catch-22. I am proud of her independence, but I do not want her roaming the kitchen and snacking during quiet time. I explained that to her and hopefully her guilty conscience will keep her out of the kitchen. I gave her a consequence though for future reference. If she can't keep out of the kitchen, she will be on her bed for quiet time. Wow, I am a mean mom!!

Excuses, excuses...

I really do have a good excuse for slacking on my blog. We are having computer issues. Let me explain. First, our computer is old-- we got it before Sydney was born (almost 6 years ago)and it has a tiny amount of RAM and ROM. I got Brian a new digital camera for Christmas and we have taken a lot of pictures. Unfortunately, there is not enough memory on our C: Drive to install the programs for the camera. So all the cool pictures are on the camera. Luckily, our new computer with TONS of memory will be here shortly. So, give me a week or so and I WILL update this blog!

Here are a few funny things while you wait...
Sydney and Payton have "No" arguments. They both say 'no' over and over to each other.
Payton is refusing to give kisses. If we ask for hugs or kisses. She shakes her head and turns away. (SO SAD)
Sydney is done with winter. She asked the other day for "spring" toys to play with. She runs around our house in shorts and and a t-shirt with no socks. BRRRR!
Payton loves babies. One day we were babysitting and the baby started crying so Payton brought me her baby-doll bottle and tried to feed the real baby!
Sydney learned two new sayings at school that she repeats constantly: "Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy" and "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit" I love it!!