Cameron's Bday

Cameron is 9!!  We had a family party and he also had a friend "get-together." I was trying to avoid calling it a party because I didn't feel I had the energy to pull something like that together.  Yet it still felt very much like a party, funny how that happens!

 

Cameron with his friends playing in the backyard.  I was worried that I didn't have any planned activities until they started an impromptu game of football using an empty 2 liter bottle.  See they are just so creative on their own!!

Funniest part of the night was when the boys decided to watch Napoleon Dynamite and then all stood up to dance with Napoleon at the end.  It was SO funny!

Cutest pumpkin at Cinderella's ball

Kate's BIG dance performance was last week.  She has been practicing her pumpkin dance  for months with her adorable dance class.  There is nothing like watching a bunch of 3-4 year old girls trying to learn a dance.  Over the last several months there has been crying, laughing, teasing, falling over, picking noses, pulling pigtails, etc.  It was so neat to see it all culminate onstage at Kingsbury Hall in front of hundreds of people.  And I was so proud of Kate!  There was no stage fright or fear, she went up there and did the entire dance perfectly (as perfectly as a four year old can do a dance!) 


I don't think that was her favorite part however.  She LOVED getting her hair and make-up done and getting all dressed up and being the center of attention and having her grandparents come to her performance and getting flowers from her dad.  I really think it was magical for Kate to have an evening all about her.  She was all smiles when I tucked her into bed that night and couldn't stop talking about everything that had happened that evening.  At that moment all I could think is I AM SO GLAD I HAVE A GIRL :)

( These pics were taken before the performance because they didn't allow pictures there)

Tulips and Tantrums

For years I have wanted to go to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point, but we've never been in town at the right time.  So now that we are here I made it a priority this spring to go.  And I was so excited.  The rest of my family was not (at least all the boys ages 6-34.)  I got so sick of the complaining that I finally told these boys ages 6-34 that if they would stop whining and at least pretend like they were enjoying it that this could count as my mother's day present and they wold not have to do anything else.  This got their attention, and I had mild cooperation for the rest of the evening.  Yay!  I even managed to take a few pictures.  

The best smiles I could get, but I'll take it!

I heart this.

I guess I really was asking a lot of Connor by making him come here with me.......

I have always been obsessed with flower pictures.  

Yep I think I've put them through enough!

These guys too!  Thanks for the great mother's day gift :)

May the fourth be with you

I gave myself permission to take a break from blogging, and it felt good I gotta say.  But now I think I might want to post a few things for the (maybe 2?) people who might still read this.  And it is a good way for me to record things so I don't forget.  So here it goes.....


Connor turned 7 on Wednesday. We had a family party that night and also the missionaries came over for dinner (it ticked him off for some reason, maybe because they were sister missionaries?  Who wants girls over for dinner when it's your birthday anyway??)  On Friday the 4th of May, Connor had his friend Alton and brother Everett over for pizza and a movie.   Alton and Everett are friends of Cameron and Connor's from Wisconsin who happen to live less than 10 minutes away from us now.  How cool is that??  I still remember how sad it was for my boys to say good bye to them almost two years ago when we moved from Wisconsin to Indiana.  I never would have imagined things turning out like this, with all of us ending up in Utah.  It makes me so happy!!  

Pizza party!

Ha ha! Caught him before he could make a face for the camera.

At least Kate will pose for me!

He's even cute eating pizza.

Opening presents :)

So Keith apparently works with some pretty nerdy guys (of "The Big Bang Theory" variety, for anyone who watches that show.)  One of these guys happens to have a replica of a Storm Trooper costume that he has spent hundreds of dollars putting together to make it as authentic as in the movies. So he offered to show up for Connor's party.  We were outside talking with friends when all of a sudden this storm trooper comes walking down the street (neighbors weren't sure what to think about that one!)  The best part was bringing him into the house - as the boys are watching Star Wars - and seeing the looks on their faces as he walked into the room.  Pure awesomeness.  I bet this is a birthday Connor wont forget!

Happy birthday Connor!

With some friends and neighbors

Thanks random storm trooper!!

January stuff

Hmmm.....guess I need to come up with a new blog title!  I'll add that to my list of hundreds of things to do.  It has been a busy few months but somehow we managed to survive the move, get unpacked, have Christmas, and then get unpacked some more.  The boys started school and are loving it, and Keith and I are working hard to de-80's the house. And I get to look out my back window and see the GORGEOUS mountains every day.  I have missed the mountains :)


I'll put up house pictures soon, because I still need lots of ideas (help!)  But for now I just had to post a few pics I came across on my phone.  Sometimes those impromptu pictures really are the best!

 OK so this was obviously taken last summer, but this was just one of our many trips to Kroger.

 Cutie pie!

 Three Harry Potters!  If you look carefully you can see the scars they made me draw on their foreheads.

Here are a couple from Keith's phone:

Sandy

Last week I was in Utah with Keith house hunting!  It sounds more fun in theory than it is in reality, unfortunately.  I am not a very good decision maker, especially when it comes to big things, and Salt Lake is such a huge area with so many options, that I felt pretty overwhelmed the entire time.  We spent the weekend driving and driving and driving, and trying to decide what locations we liked.  Then I spent a 12 hour day Monday with the realtor (Dave came since Keith had to work, and I was so grateful!) We found a house in Sandy that I liked, and a few others in Draper, and then that evening Keith checked the houses out too.  We liked the one in Sandy enough that the next day we made an offer, and after they countered and we countered, they accepted our offer.  Yay!  And then I went into shock thinking oh my goodness this happened so fast and is this really what we want???  A few more days for that to settle though and I am doing fine now.  So assuming everything goes well with the closing then we should be moving in by the beginning of December :)


OK so here's the story on the house.  It is in an awesome location at the end of a cul-de-sac and has the most beautiful view of the mountains.  The bedrooms are big and the house has been kept up really well.  It has a three car garage and an unfinished basement (I am so excited to have a basement again!)   The bad news is that it must have been decorated in the late 80s/early 90s because the inside is a floral wallpaper nightmare!!   So you have to use your imagination looking at the pictures and help us figure how to update it.  It's going to be awesome.  

Just a few pictures.....

View from the backyard.  I am so in love with this!!!!

Remember don't focus on colors, just potential :)

Master bedroom.  I don't know how these people slept at night, it's just so.....flowery.

Master bathroom.  Yes that's going to need some work too!!

Other bedrooms.....

A few more backyard shots.

I have been watching a lot of HGTV and I am welcoming all ideas.  Any thoughts?

100th POST

I thought for my 100th post I should say something of significance.  OK, so here it goes:  We are moving to Utah!  Trust me, these are words I never thought I'd ever say.  Nothing against Utah, it just seemed a very unlikely place for us to end up considering the company Keith works for and the field he is in.  I used to say that the only way we would end up there is if the perfect job fell into his lap. Well, I guess it kind of did :)    


Keith was put into contact with someone who works for a company based out of Salt Lake called Brahma Group (hooray to my cousin Nate Barnson for making the contact!!)  Anyway, Keith spoke with them on the phone, then flew out to interview, then they made him an offer, and he accepted it (in a nutshell.)  Keith was very impressed with the company and it looks to be a very good fit for his experience and also what he would like to do going forward.  So cool!  I have been praying for a few years now that he would find something to lure him away from Bechtel. Bechtel has been great to us but the prospect of moving around every 2-3 years for the next 30 years just did not appeal to us.  And it is only going to get harder on the kids as they get older.  We have been wanting to get back west, maybe Colorado, Washington, Idaho, something like that.  Really Salt Lake was never on my radar screen.  But can I just say that I AM SO EXCITED!!!


Of course these kinds of things are bittersweet.  I have made some wonderful friends here who I love dearly and I am sad we'll be leaving sooner than planned.  There will be some back and forth as Keith starts his new job, we look for a house, and then we'll have to transition the kids to a new school.  My head is spinning constantly and I can't sleep at night.  And I wonder if I am emotionally and physically ready to do this again.  But it is easier to stomach knowing that (hopefully) we will actually get to stay put for awhile.  That is such a blessing and I am so grateful for that.  So wish us luck these next few months.  We're gonna need it :)

And this is totally off subject, but I had to include some pictures of Kate - in her giraffe-print pants and zebra-print apron - helping me make banana bread.  She is one sassy girl!

Adorable!!