New developments

This sweet little thing is 6 months old!! To say that it's gone fast would be a total lie...it's been hard and crazy and fun...Some things I want to remember about Lia at 6 months:

*She has the cutest smile and is happy most of the day!

*She gives the best kisses.

*She loves her brother and sisters!

*She has the cutest chubby, kissable cheeks!

*She rolls from her back to her tummy and is starting to scoot to things.

*She hates to sleep at night.

In other news...Claire is potty training. She decided to do it on her own last Wednesday and is doing pretty well. The first few days she was amazing and the last two have been a little rocky, but I think she's getting it, and I will be so happy when we're through this annoying phase of life.

And finally, the news that will be changing my life the most for the next few years... Jason was called as the second counselor in our bishopric this past Sunday. Even though he will be away at meetings more, and up on the stand during sacrament meeting, I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed him and our family with this opportunity to serve. I am also very grateful that I am married to an amazing, righteous priesthood holder who was completely humbled, but willingly accepted this calling.

Easter

Easter is one of my favorite holidays!! I love to reflect on the Savior--His life, His atonement, and His resurrection!! I also love to teach my children about these things and help them have a better understanding of our purpose here on earth. This year I am especially grateful for my eternal family and my knowledge that families can be together forever!
One of my favorite things about Easter is new spring dresses!! Here are the kids on Easter Sunday all dressed up in their cute Easter clothes! Bonnie bought all the little girls the cutest dresses and my mom made cute little flower purses that matched perfectly--it's so nice to have grandma's that spoil us! Karson also got some new cute duds! We took the picture below at Chad and Bonnie's Sunday afternoon--we joked around that it was an Easter miracle that all the kids were looking in the direction of the camera :0)!! I do have to say that Chad and Bonnie have the cutest grand kids--and that includes Kiley's kiddos who aren't in this picture--they were missed!
Saturday we began our festivities with a super yummy Easter breakfast with the Joneses. That was followed by our annual adult Easter scavenger hunt. It is by far one of our favorite Easter traditions. This year a lot of the clues were scriptures--thank goodness for smart phones :0)!!! Chad and Bonnie came up with some awesome clues that stumped us--leading to Jason and I losing to Jared and Abby for the first time EVER!!! The kids then got to have a huge Easter egg hunt and all got tons of eggs!!! As you can see in Karson's basket...


Watching Claire and Gracie hunt for eggs was one of the funnest parts of the day--they were SOOOO cute--talking and helping each other search through the grass for the eggs, naming their colors as they went--they are both getting to be so smart and grown up!
The Monday before Easter we dyed eggs for family home evening. The kids had fun decorating them with crayons and watching their pictures show up on the eggs when they were dipped in the colors. Lia had fun watching! She is sooo cute these days!

Spring Break

I got a little "spring break" the end of March/first of April. Lia and I flew to the beautiful, warm, sunny Florida to visit my sister and mom and dad. It was lovely. Dianna and my parents pampered me the entire time.

Highlights from the trip: A morning at the beach, crafts with mom, swimming in the pool, laying in the hammock in Di's back yard, shopping with Di, watching General Conference outside, yummy food... pretty much the entire trip was amazing!

This is a picture from where we had dinner the last night I was there. It was beautiful, right were the river flowed into the ocean.
Dianna and I at dinner--notice how pasty white I am compared to the Florida girl :0)!
And here is really showing off my pastyness. Wow! Sun needs to come to good ol' Idaho quick!!
Before I went to Florida we went down to UT for spring break. Jason got Lasik eye surgery and we did some fun activities with the kids.
Here's Jason with his sexy eye shields. The surgery went really well. He could see 20/20 the next day and now is seeing 20/15!
The kids at Hill Air force base museum. They loved seeing all the planes. It was also a great opportunity for me to educate them about the military and those who have served and are currently serving our country.

Tribute to an Elect Lady

My sweet Grandma passed away a few weeks ago. She was an amazing woman and I will miss her more than I can express in words. I've never lost someone I was so close to. It's taken me this long to even be able to sit down and write my feelings without bawling. My childhood memories are filled with Grandma--her house, her love, and her cookies.

A good friend gave me a plaque that says "When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure." I wanted to write some memories down, some things I always want to remember about Grandma, some of those treaures...

*She remembered everything and sent cards--anniversaries, holidays, everything...

*She called us snicklefritz--no idea where it came from, but it was the cutest term of endearment.

*She was always reading--she was one of the smartest, most articulate people I know.

*She valued education--she was a nurse and Grandpa a doctor. All of her children and grandchildren graduated from college. She helped all of us to be able to go with her yearly "grandma scholarship".

*She loved her family, she loved being a good wife and mother.

*She loved the outdoors. When I was younger we spent lots of time in Cascade at my grandparents cabin. She also took us huckleberrying. Grandma was like a bird and plant encyclopedia!

*Grandma always mixed up our names.. I was most often called TrishDiJenn (my cousin and older sis)

*She had funny little saying for everything like if boys had hiccups (he-cups), then girls had she-saucers.

*Her applesauce.

*Her love for cooking--grandma always had a new recipe to try.

*Baking Christmas cookies--every year at Christmas we would bake tons of different kinds of cookies.

*More than anything I will miss our visits--Grandma was one of my favorite people in the world to talk to. It's hard to imagine life without her thoughts and feelings and mostly her love!!!

I love you Grandma!!!!
Here is Grandma when she was in high school--She was so beautiful!
Grandma and my grandpa were married almost 60 years. Grandpa died in 2003.
This is a picture of my Grandparents with their 4 kids. They had 3 girls and a boy--Grandma was a wonderful mother and such an example to me.

Grandma and Grandpa with their grand kiddos--that's me with the teddy bear.

Random February thoughts--in March!

Our latest addition!!! Exercise equipment!! Jason made a New Years resolution to buy exercise equipment--that's right buy it, not use it--he said he wanted to make sure his goal was attainable--so funny. Well, we now have a nice little home gym and the best part is we got it all on craiglist for a great price. Just ignore my dirty unfinished basement :0)! We both exercised this morning, so I guess he's decided to use it after all.

So, I officially have the cutest husband in the world!!! He has been amazing since I had Lia!! Not that hasn't always been amazing, but he has gone above and beyond the call of duty lately!! I was having a hard week (four kids has definitely rocked my world :0)). So, Thursday night he came home and said let's find a babysitter and go to dinner. So we did, and ate the most amazingly yummy trout at Stevo's!! It was just what I needed!!! Then on Friday after work and dinner Jason ran to the store for me. When he came home he was fiddling around in the kitchen, I asked what he was up to and he replied all mater of fact, "I'm having a tea party with Kate." I don't know who's idea it was Kate's or Jason's, but they had a blast making sugar plum fairy herbal tea and serving it with Kate's real tea set. The girls got all dressed up for the event--so cute!!! I especially love that Jason sat at Kate's little table to enjoy their tea!

I tried to take some pictures of the kids to give to Jason for Valentine's day--this was one of the best--February is not the best time for photo shoots I decided!
Lia and her first food--her face says just how much she enjoyed it!
Kate forgot her Sunday shoes for my cousins wedding, so she sported her red rain boots with her dress--I think she looked pretty cute though!
I just had to include this one of Claire--doesn't she have the most beautiful eyes?!

Silly Girls

Claire is sooo funny lately. She LOVES getting her picture taken. The other day she and I had this little photo shoot. Her other love is tutus--she is wearing 2 here, and you have to love her crazy hair!!
Such a ham!!!


Little miss Lia is getting so cute these days!! She is 3 months old. Loves to smile and "talk," hates to eat and sleep, and is the light of our lives. The kids adore her.

Happy Birthday Kate!

Kate is 5!!! The first thing she said when she woke up on her birthday was, "I'm 5!!!" with all the Kate zest and enthusiasm you can imagine!! I think there's something empowering to kids about turning 5--it's like they're no longer a little kid!
Kate got her very first American Girl doll for her b-day. We were going to wait until she was a little older, but she has been so good and responsible lately that we decided to go for it. She didn't have a friend party this year, so we thought it was a good time for a special gift!!! She was so funny when she opened the box. She looked inside totally puzzled and said, "an American Girl doll?" (I had told her that she probably wouldn't get one until she was at least 6. She's been begging for one for awhile now.) I laughed and said that it wasn't quite the reaction I'd hoped for, but at this time she realized that it was all for real and got super excited--even hugging the box--so funny!!

Grandma Bonnie picked out these cute matching jammies for Kate--she loves them and I must say they do look oh, so cute!!

When we decided to get the doll for Kate. I started sewing--it's just too fun!!! Jason makes fun of me because I was so excited--so, I admit going to the AG store in Chicago ruined me--it was like little girl heaven, and I fell in love with it all!!! I made this matching outfit for Kate and her doll.
I also made a hoodie sweatshirt, matching t-shirts, jeans, and a dress/sweater set--it was so fun!!