We Survived!

It has been a whirlwind weekend. Family came into town for a power-house 3 day weekend. Ken and I have made 3 trips to the airport and I know my parents have made quite a few as well. We had a great time and truly enjoyed all the family time.


It was about an hour long drive to get to the temple. The boys passed the time watching VeggieTales, while Ken, Jonny, and I did Mad Libs. The sealing was beautiful and I got a little teary-eyed. Then came picture time. They had a great photographer who kept things quick. This was great news because it was roughly 4000 degrees outside and the dress I was wearing retained as much heat as a wool jacket worn on the equator.

From the left- Marissa, a stunningly beautiful redhead, Jessica (bride sister), Katherine, David, Jonny, Mike, and Nicholas (her brother).
Seven years and he still makes my heart beat fast and my toes feel tingly. We were the first of the sibs to get married in July of 2000. We were followed by Marissa and Kevin in December of 2001, Mike and Ashlyn in June of 2005, Jonny and Cassie in December 2005, and David and Katherine in August of 2007. Five weddings in seven years. Now we are all married off and my parents are finally officially empty nesters.

Look at these two little hooligans. They're so cute I just might have to take them home with me (wink, wink).

This is my grandfather (my mom's dad). Kenny and Nathan call their great-grandfather Papa 2 because they call my father Papa. These boys are 2 of his 16 great-grandchildren so far.

I'll post about the reception tomorrow. That is where the REAL fun took place. My family gets a little crazy when we all get together. Couple that with a severe lack of sleep by all- including the children- and we had a good time.

Quick Update

It's been a few days since I wrote. I haven't been super busy, but I haven't had any down time. Check out my sisters (Marissa and Ashlyn) blog to see pictures of the boys and their new baby cousin.

We took Kenny to the doctor for his 5 year old check up. His ped. is sending him to a gastro-intestinal specialist due to unsatisfactory weight gain. Over the last three years, he has made minimal progress and his latest growth numbers show a dip downward. Since this is a trend that has been happening since birth, she wants to make sure there is nothing going on in his system that is inhibiting weight gain.

Otherwise, we are just getting ready for the wedding. I went shopping with Ashlyn on Tuesday and had a great time. I got a new dress, a pair of jeans, and a shirt. I bought Nathan a new pair of dress pants and a white dress shirt (his Sunday clothes were getting small.) Family has started coming into town. Uncle Jonny is staying with us. I'll post more about this weekend later.

Ooooo.... Pretty

What is it about a fountain full of coins that is so alluring to pint-sized people? We have to stop at this fountain every time we visit the mall. And I had better have a penny for them, or be subjected to "the look" (see previous post.)


PS- I got a haircut. We went to the mall with my sister and her rugrat to go to this adorable little shop that sells beautiful hair clips so we can be pretty for the wedding. Since my hair is now short, I got a pretty barrette to slip onto the side of my hair. I'll post picture next weekend.

PSS- Ken posted some pictures of the helicopter he flew out on the oil rigs. Click here to see.

Put The Boy To Work

Ken and I decided it was about time for Kenny to start pulling his weight around here. You know, earning his keep. He's five now...that's practically a man.

We decided to start small. Nothing to overwhelming. Daddy helped him at first, just to show him the ropes.After a few pases, Kenny really seemed to be getting the hang of things.
Finally, we were confident he could handle the rest of the yard on his own.
In all seriousness, we did not make him mow the entire yard by himself. He did help Daddy mow the entire yard.

This marks a momentous occasion in my life. Evidence that the years of diapers, nursing, bottles, sippy cups, midnight rendezvous, runny noses, coloring on the walls, potty training, and food on the floor will pay off. The entire point of all those things is to someday be able to have your children take over the work as free laborers- all in the name of instilling in them "a good work ethic." Ahhh...the thought makes my heart go pitter patter.

My Dad was a pro at this. We didn't have toilet brushes. We had our hand and a rag. And why waste money on a mop to clean your HUGE tile floor when you have five children? Section off four rows each and give them a bucket and a rag. I used to think I was being subjected to death by cleaning, but now I know that my father understood a higher principal. Instilling a good perverse work ethic.

PS- I love you Dad.

Flight Time

Ken got the opportunity to go flying with a man in our Stake (Les) who has been his mentor in the flying world. He took Ken out to the oil rigs in the Gulf. Les flies a Sikorsky S-76, a multi-million dollar twin-turbine helicopter. Besides being a great opportunity to experience the cream of the crop in helicopter flight, Les turned the controls over to Ken for 1.6 hours of flight time. He even got to take off from a rig platform. I am so grateful he has a mentor ho knows the business in and out and can offer such great advice and encouragement. Every time Ken talks to or flies with Les he comes away with a renewed vigor for what he is doing.

Party Time!

To celebrate the big 5, we decided to spend some one-on-one time with the birthday boy. We do a lot as a family, but I feel horrible that neither of my boys gets a much alone time as they deserve. We took Nathan to Eppie's house for a nap and playing while Daddy and I took Kenny out for the afternoon.

First, we went bumper bowling. Kenny can't boel the ball, but he is good at rolling it. Unfortunately, he got his little thumb stuck in one of the holes and sprained his finger. But he still played. He bowled a 74. I bowled a 73. He beat me...but I let him. I swear. Cross my heart. I really let him win and was NOT beat fair and square by a 5 year old little boy.





After bowling, we took Kenny to this new place that just opened near our house. It is called Fan Max Jumpin'. It's an inflatable world. We had the BEST time! This place is cheap in comparison to other places like this. They also let parents play for free with your kid. They also have counselors available to play with your kid if you want to take a break in the parent's room- a lovely place where no children are allowed, there is a big screen t.v., leather couches, magazines, and a window into the play world. We jumped, slid down inflatable slides, and played tag. It was so wonderful to have fun play time with just Kenny. I loved seeing how joyful Kenny felt. His charming smile never left his face.


We went to dinner at Kenny's favorite restaurant- Denny's (or the breakfast store.) Eppie, Papa, David, and Katherine joined us. After eating we headed back to the house to meet a few family friends for cake and ice cream.

Due to various circumstances, we ended up with a full house for cake and ice cream. Kenny had a Star Wars cake with a light up Yoda on top. We got the opportunity to meet my new little niece, Avery. She is very sweet. We talked and the kids played. All in all, I think we had a wonderful day.

Happy Birthday Little Man

Today marks a special anniversary. Ken and I have been changing diapers for 5 years now. That is 1825 days. Ah, the memories.

Seriously, today Kenny is 5 years old. I can hardly believe how fast the time has gone. He has grown into such a smart, energetic little person. He is loving, affectionate, and is always going to make you laugh. We are so very blessed to have him in our family.

Happy Birthday Kiddo!!

(Birthday celebration pictures to follow.)