Wednesday, December 2, 2020

May 2019

Ashton's class was able to be a part of a community choir concert that showcased music from each of the schools. I was able to go and listen to them perform at the high school.

May 2, 2019



I saw this picture on Kaleb's phone and had a good laugh. That kid has the thickest hair you'll ever touch. It's crazy how thick and how much of it there is. The clippers I use to cut his hair will slow down and almost die if I don't go really slow, it's crazy. Here he blow dried it straight up. He has fun playing with it and putting it into pony tails to get a reaction from his siblings.

May 2, 2019


Olivia loves any chance to go to a park and play.

May 7, 2019

Olivia danced to "It's a Jolly Holiday" from Mary Poppins and she did such a great job. She's always been great about smiling on stage when she performs which I love.

May 11, 2019

The teacher wanted a low updo with pinned back curls so this is what we ended up with.






The boys were able to come to the first performance to watch and everyone else came to the second show.





This is part of a cute book Olivia did in school for Mother's Day.

May 13, 2019



My grandparents had a Snow White figurine set just like this one in their house and growing up us grandkids loved looking at it. It even had a wheelbarrow and little shovel. I think it was since it was miniature and Disney and the crystal was really pretty we just all loved it. On May 18th my grandfather passed away and I was able to find a set for on eBay that's the same as the one they had. I love looking at it and it reminds me of all of the memories I have from being at their house.

May 19, 2019


Matt helped chaperone a field trip to the nature center. Olivia's friend Claire was in her class so they loved being together.

May 20, 2019

I barely didn't pass my 1-hour gestational diabetes test so I had to do the 3 hour fasting test. It was early in the morning so Olivia got to come and hang out with me while I waited between blood draws. We had fun playing games, reading and coloring so I don't think she cared too much. Thankfully the 3 hour test came back normal, no gestational diabetes which we figured but had to be sure.

May 21, 2019


I put together a slideshow to be played in the hall at the viewing so I scanned photo's to put in it. Growing up we had dinner every Sunday at my grandparents house, they always came to all of our sports and school events and we always spent so much time with them. Even with my kids we still were having weekly dinner and the last couple of years I would pick up my grandpa after work usually multiple times a week to have dinner at my parents house. It was really hard on the kids when he passed. I think part of it is they're older and understand more and they just have so many memories with my grandparents and specifically my grandfather. It was emotional for Ashton and Olivia after he passed but we know he had been in a lot of pain and at almost 95 he was ready to see my grandma again.

May 23, 2019









My grandpa wanted his service to be just like my grandma's so we did that with the exception of the grandkids singing a musical number. At my grandma's funeral we were all crying so much we knew we couldn't hold it together again so I played the piano instead.



It was pretty cold at that day so the kids were bundling up in blankets.




My brother Nathan is buried next to my grandparents along with my grandparents daughter Susan who passed away as a baby also.






My dad Keith and his brothers Grant, Glenn and Kent.


After the ward had provided a yummy luncheon for us which we were very appreciative of. The boys wore my grandpa's tie and bowtie and Olivia had on a necklace and clutch that was my grandma's. They love having something that reminds them of them.


Even typing this today (12/2/2020) a year and a half after he passed I can say I still think about my grandparents all the time and it's emotional looking at these pictures. One thing I don't think I ever blogged but want to remember is that at my grandma's funeral in Nov. 2012 everyone was leaving to go the graveside. I had to run Ashton back inside the church to go to the bathroom and the only other people inside the building were ladies from then ward prepping the luncheon. I was just outside the bathroom door since Ashton insisted on going in the mens and could hear them talking and a younger girl was saying how she didn't know my grandparents well since they were new to the area. The ladies in there said starting talking about how my grandparents were so involved in their kids and grandkids lives and how important their family was to them and how close we all were. They said that they weren't home much because they were always out with family doing things together like trips. It put a big smile on my face to hear that that's how they are being remembered as by neighbors and friends. It really sums them up, family was really everything to them.

This is the video we had playing at the viewing for people to see.


Belly picture at 29 weeks pregnant. The pregnancy was flying by I felt like. I'm sure it helps that since it wasn't my baby I didn't have to do anything to prep for the actual baby part!

May 23, 2019


Olivia had her end of the year kindergarten western program they always do. It was really cute to watch.

May 24, 2019

She told a joke with another boy in her class during the program.


She also had a dancing part which was my favorite part to watch. The little kids doing their line dancing kicks and steps was really cute.


My parents, sister and aunt and uncle were about to come too.



She absolutely loved kindergarten and her teacher Mrs. Dow.


Another quick stay at the cabin. The kids love watching the deer out the windows.

May 27, 2019



It's always nice when the 3 of them can play and hang out without any arguing. For the most part they get along great but they have their moments where they like to push each others buttons, and usually on purpose.




Another day, another craft! She loved this sand art and I loved how easy it was for her to do. She just peeled off the areas she wanted the sand and dumped it on, shook it off and then moved on to the next color. And they turned out super cute.

May 30, 2019



Kaleb has loved taking wood shop class and made this table for his final project for his 9th grade year. I love seeing all the neat things he's made, he does a great job and you can tell he's detail oriented. Well, most of the time he is anyways.




April 2019

The 5th graders do a report on a famous person (Amazing American) and Ashton chose John F. Kennedy. He loves anything related to history, military, government, so it was a good fit for him. They do everything at school so that it doesn't become a "parent" project which I love. He did everything by himself and did such a great job. Kids from other classes come to learn about all of the different people. 

April 4, 2019



Olivia brought a chapter book to read since she didn't have kindergarten until later. Yes, a kindergartener reading a chapter book, so crazy how well she reads.

We went to my parents for brunch during general conference and we were all snuggled up on the couch after.

April 7, 2019 


Another weekend sledding at the cabin. It was crazy how much snow there still was up there. The kids will usually sled back down to the car from our cabin since we had been leaving the snowmobile at the cabin instead of down in the parking lot. 

April 13, 2019


We did have one issue after the kids headed down where the snowmobile was at the end of our road and wouldn't start up again to park it. I think the engine was flooded. Eventually we (well, really Matt since I was pregnant and wanted to be cautious) pushed it part of the way back and then it finally started again after about 10 minutes which we were grateful for. I'm not sure he could have pushed it all the way back to the cabin. We then walked down to the parking lot where the kids were wondering what took us so long!


This girl loves doing crafts and we keep most of our crafting supplies at my work so that she has stuff to do when she's at work with me. 

April 15, 2019


Me and my love for sunsets! :)

April 16, 2019


Olivia made this bunny on her own one day and wrote a note to the easter bunny on the back. It was really cute.

April 17, 2019



I love when all of our fruit trees start blooming. Our apricot and apple tree weren't blooming and unfortunately the apple tree had completely died which we later found out ants had eaten/dug through all the roots so it just pulled out of the ground. The apricot tree ended up getting a couple of branches with leaves so we left it in hopes of salvaging it.

April 18, 2019


I would shake the trees so that the pedals would "snow" down on her, she loved it.


I think she added one or two more things to her fairy garden too.


The kids had their annual fun run at the school. I think Olivia's favorite part is the snack stations, she's not much for running just for the heck of it.

April 19, 2019



Olivia and a couple of her friends went to see a movie at the dollar theaters. The women in the neighborhood were having a bunco night so the dads took the kids out.

April 19, 2019


Easter morning!

April 21, 2019


Kaleb got an alarm clock that projects the time onto the ceiling and Ashton got a chameleon that changes color depending what surface you put it on. Olivia still enjoys all the little girl trinket toys like hatchimals.






It took so many tries just to get this one decent picture after church. Olivia was complaining about the sun in her eyes so her eyes were closed in pretty much every picture, then the boys always feel the need to make crazy silly faces and not just smile. They sure love to make me work for my pictures!


Olivia changed outfits for Sunday Easter dinner and the egg hunt.


The boys are old enough they get to help "hide" the eggs. They still enjoy finding them and with about 300 eggs there's plenty for everyone.



We hardly ever go to the Cheesecake Factory but my favorite cheesecake they discontinued. It was called Chris' Outrageous Cheesecake. I found a copycat recipe and made it for my birthday dessert since cheesecake is my favorite. It has a bottom brownie layer, a layer of chocolate chip cheesecake, layer of German chocolate frosting, layer of chocolate cake, more German chocolate frosting, chocolate frosting on the sides and top and then mini chocolate chips pressed into the outside. It's just as rich as it sounds but it really combines my favorite desserts into one amazing dessert. This is all that was left after Sunday dinner at my aunt and uncles. I should have taken a picture before. (And I have made it again since!)

April 30, 2019