Beginning of Summer

We had our family home Evening on Wednesday, our lesson was on safety. Paul told them a story about Pete the Possum and the safety rules that his mother had given him and he didn't listen, he wasn't supposed to sleep hanging upside down unless his tail was tightly wound around the branch and it wasn't, so he fell. He needed band-aids for that and other things that happened, the girls put band-aids on their pictures of Pete. We had chocolate chip cookies made from a recipe in Alona's cookbook. She gave me the book, "here Mom, make the cookies." "Don't you want to help?" "I'll do the chocolate chips", and she went to play outside until everything was finished but the chocolate chips. Abbi and Kacen stayed to help and enjoyed it. Kacen is real good at dumping the sugar in and Abbi held real still as I poured the vanilla in to the measuring spoon. After the lesson, we got our swimming suits on and headed for Seven Peaks to go swimming.
It took us 25 minutes to walk there and then we had 20 minutes to play. And we had fun, it was just so nice to go with Paul. I had gone on Tuesday with just me and the kids and sitting in the waves for an hour holding two children, not the greatest thrill. Paul gave them piggy back rides swimming around in the water. The waves didn't come on which was good, the younger children got a little too much water in them last time from the
waves. On Tuesday when I went with the kids we left Alona's brand new sandals at the park, we left right at closing time and were more than half way home before she told me that we didn't have them. I figured that they would be ok figuring that it was closing time and thought that an employee would just put them in the lost and found. But when I went back looking for them on Wednesday morning and evening they were not there, so we figure that someone swiped her brand new $20 shoes. Ouch, a big hit to our pocket book and sad little girl, especially going to get a new pair, money we don't have at the moment.
We were walking home and caught this sight. What a beautiful sunset. The rays of sun are shining through a break in the clouds and there was a perfect spot where you could see it all through the trees.
On Thursday after dance class, I had a little one who was throwing a fit. Not wanting to get out of the van and walk to the cart with me and so got put in to the baby seat of the cart. Of course this was not desirable, so the entire time Mommy told this child that if they sat down safely for two minutes they could walk the rest of the time, being that the way that were sitting was unsafe. At the end it turned out ok they got to push the cart in to the cart corral, and while there a lady came up and commented, "You are a Patient Mother." She had witnessed me dealing with my child's fit and how I handled it, it was really nice to get that kind of a compliment. I have struggled with patience, and am witnessing my weaknesses become my strengths.
I read "The Secret Life of Bees" on Monday. It was a good book.
Paul has homework up the you know what. He has been up until 7 or 8 every morning doing homework and still has 90 questions and 5 programs left to do. He has until next Thursday to finish. Good luck to my dear husband, I know you are working so hard. Can't wait to go swimming with you again.
We get to go to my cousin's wedding on Saturday, that will be interesting. They are having a "cousin party" all of the little kids get to play at a house and be watched while their parents are at the ceremony. That sounds great, I just hope that they watch Kacen really well, never left my kids with complete strangers. And Paul is off, so we get to go together!!

Abbi was holding a spider that fell from the ceiling and Alona got it, here is the conversation that I heard from my bedroom door....
Alona: "He's dead I squished him"
Abbi: "Can I eat him?"
Alona: "No, Spider's are gross!"
Abbi: "Hello, I am a spider!", she was pretending to talk for the spider!...and she kept going too!

Yesterday's words:
Stairs: He was climbing up the stairs in the neighbors back yard and saying, "up the stairs, up the stairs!"
Cook: Playing with the little kitchen things, he was cookin!

Breath Taking

yesterday's words:
Hands & Clapping: we were reading a little boy book that shows pictures of each. He gets things so much more easily when they are simple.

Today's words:
Hammer- carrying around Paul's hammer, it was his fun toy for the day.

Memorial Day was still quite cold and rainy. Five days of rain is a little too much! The sun started to come out around 5:00. We decided to go up in to the mountains, I had heard about a waterfall in Provo Canyon and thought that would be nice to go to. So we got subway, their five dollar footlong subs. We ordered three of them for all five of us and got drinks at the gas station, a 64 oz root beer and headed up there. It was so pretty, and I forgot my camera. It was a bit chilly, a good thing that we all had our jackets. We got out of the car and found a slab of concrete to sit on across from the waterfall and ate our dinner. Alona had a six inch tuna, of which was gone about 1-2 inches, Abbi and Kacen each had a three inch grilled chicken with ranch. Kacen ate all of his sandwich and Abbi gave me her sandwich with the last few bites. She would have eaten her sandwich I swear she would have had she not caught a glimpse of the chocolate chip cookies.
The waterfall was breath taking, we watched others climb almost all the way to the top. Alona wanted to go too! We took her part way and then back down, stepping on the dry rocks where the water didn't flow so deep or so rapidly.We went back and played at the park for awhile before racing daddy home and getting ready for bed. Abbi loves under dog and being pushed high, she wanted daddy to give her his attention and push her after Kacen had his turn, he was such a giggly little boy. Alona wouldn't come inside the house at first because Dad had beaten her inside, but Paul went out the back door and around to where Alona was and raced her back in and she won. What a happy girl and a great dad!

Time Well Spent

Yesterday's words/ phrases:
watch out! -The neighbors dad said this to his little boy while riding his bike around Kacen. Kacen picked it up and kept telling him to watch out.
today's word:
Church-I was telling him how we had church tomorrow.

I actually know what time Kacen wakes up now! boy was I surprised, we changed his bed from the crib in to the toddler bed and for two nights he screamed hysterically and came to bed with mom at three in the morning. Last night I put him in his bed, I tried laying with him but his fit was too horrendous so I lay on the floor next to his bed. He still screamed but he calmed down, he eventually went to sleep while still whimpering. This morning at about six, my little came out of his room and went to mommy's door and knocked and opened. He keeps getting bigger!
Here is a picture of him playing happily in his bed on Thursday morning. He was taking his own time to get used to his bed. It was much less terrifying in the day than at night when he is being forced to sleep in it.
We were walking around the block, the girls were hoping to find friends to play with. We saw Jaimie and his parents across the street having a yard sale, practically selling their stuff dirt cheap to move cross country in their car. We stopped and played with them for a good while. Abbi had fun following Jaimie around on tricycles and playing bumper wagons. She is my visiting teacher and Jaimie is one of very few children Abbi's age around here and they are moving. My other visiting teacher moved three weeks ago. It makes us all so sad seeing them all go. Another family with four children in our ward is leaving and one other family(our relief society president and Sunday school teacher) are moving out within the week.
Tonight after dinner I took the children to see their dad. They don't get to see him much. You would have to know us real well to know why. But they needed to see him, they helped to bring him dinner. Abbi brought the fork and Alona brought the catsup and the ball to play ball with her dad. They were real patient waiting outside for him, ran back and forth between the two different doors that were there wanting to go in and get him. It is the type of door that you need a special magnet card to activate the door and open it. Paul ate and they all played ball, it was so calming to have him around. Abbi and Kacen were so happy and giggly, Alona's request was fulfilled to the best of our abilities, she wants a daddy that is at home, that she can spend time with, she wants her dad to be done with school too. So she was able to spend time with him at night tonight even though he wasn't home, and of course we are still working on the rest of it. This is an activity that I think we should try to continue. After Paul had shut the door to go back up to work, Abbi was the saddest little girl. She wouldn't stop crying for daddy, the whole time home too and even when we got home she had stopped whining but was still so sad. It was nice to see that it was more tragic leaving her daddy than it was leaving grandparents.

tonights fun

my sister came over to stay the night and spent time with us before heading off to Colorado for her weekend road trip. It was so nice to have family over, to have them at our house and not have my life hectic and turned upside down for once so that I could see family.
Abbi was so excited when we pulled up from ballet and their van was already here. She ran in to the house and before I knew it Alona was running to me yelling at me about what had happened and yep she was right. I looked over and saw that Gabe already had his birthday present, his opened birthday present. Abbi knew that she would get to give him the present, she just didn't know that others wanted to watch. She was cute, the expression on her face was endearing. She loves her cousin that is the same age as her and was so happy that she got to give it to him. Gabe was told to give her a hug and Abbi got the hug for giving him the present.

Kacen's words today:
that
baby-he loves to play with the baby dolls with his sisters, he is a very sweet, sensitive boy. He rocks them and pushes them in the stroller.
book- (gook), Aunt Crystal was over tonight and the little boys were looking at books and Kacen said it!
Abbi- (Abba) Kacen finally ventured to say Abbi's name music to my ears. The sister that he loves to laugh with can finally be called by name!

it's

Words: bubbles- he liked playing in the bubbles today. We had a bowl of dish soap water on the floor, so much better for him to play with, he really enjoyed it and Alona liked helping mom clean while scrubbing the floor. Though she mentioned that she enjoyed mopping better.
Pup Pup-Kacen says pup pup for puppy. When he sees a dog, hears one or plays with a stuffed puppy. Which is quite often.
Cereal- when we are at the table to eat breakfast, he keeps pointing and saying cereal until I fill his bowl.
Chex-he calls the cereal life "chex" it is square just like chex.
"it's on", "it's off", "it's hot"he is now able to do phrases with the word it's... he surprises me every day with a new one.
WET-"it's wet" Kacen got sprayed with the sprinklers, he went out side after it stopped raining and got sprayed he came running to his daddy practically in tears. Saying that "it's wet!"

Yesterday we they were playing outside while I was getting ready to go to the grocery store. I realized hey, they all let me do their hair! So I grabbed the camera. And took their picture, On Sunday before church I decided to cut Kacen's hair. His hair was getting long and the past few days were so hot, yesterday while driving home from the grocery store the van read 90 degrees. So I thought that it was a good time for a summer hair cut. He didn't like the motorized clippers very well. The noise really scared him, he was good enough for me to use the scissors to cut his hair. And yesterday I used gel and hair spray! His hair was spiked, I have a little boy that I can spike his hair!!! Abbi is just the cutest little girl and when she has me do her hair it looks like she actually belongs to someone, and I am so glad that she belongs to me! Her braids are so cute, and Alona let me put pig tails in her hair. So today it was raining like crazy, isn't Utah weather just fun, for the past three days or so it has been a scorcher and today a down pour, we were able to play inside of a neighbor's house and go to the church for exercising.
It was interesting, the instructor was having us do karate, from the little bit that she took and remembered. I remembered the karate that I had took and remembered and realized that I knew many of the names of the moves that had escaped the instructor's mind. And I loved re-living it all, I remembered that I really enjoyed doing karate. The flexibility, the movements, remembering the different katas it was all good and felt good.
While we were playing at the neighbor's house, the little two year old that was there, kept going to the little potty. Kacen is actually about the same height, it was fun to realize that but to me he still seems so little. He went in to their bathroom and sat on their little potty and didn't want to leave it. He realized what it was for. When we got home I went to his bedroom and got out the little potty that we own and for the first time ever I put on the pee guard so that nothing would get on the floor and I placed it in the bathroom. I helped him with his pants and he sat down, I came back a few minutes later and he had gone potty!! He was trying to get it out of the little toilet just like the neighbors had and managed to take the little potty apart. Wow he really is getting bigger!

At The Heart Of It

My birthday was good. It started off like any regular day, with a little extra cleaning than normal. I did 2 loads of laundry, dishes, sweeping. vacuuming, getting the children fed and dressed and then of course was late to aerobics at the church. I brought the weights that I had bought on Monday at target and they didn't use them, maybe tomorrow they will.
We went home, I hurried and changed out of my clothes and changed into my jeans and a relaxing t-shirt and hurried off to play group a few miles down the road. They had asked us to bring a snack that our children enjoy to share with the other children. I was thinking what in the heck am I supposed to do, I don't have any snacks. I started thinking what is in my cupboard, I have maybe a handful of pretzels in the cupboard. That certainly will not feed ten children. I opened the fridge, Oh wait, I have oranges. I peeled one the other day and my children just left it on the table and didn't eat a single bite. I can bring these! And I did, and the adults loved them! Some of the other snacks were, kix cereal which was best loved by the 14 month old little girl, rice krispie treats, capri suns and fruit snacks. My visiting teacher asked me, "Have you gotten any good presents yet?" I told her no, well its a good thing that its not your birthday yet. I just let her keep talking for a minute before I told her that it was my birthday. "I thought that your birthday was on the 15th." Nope, my birthday is on the 14th!
We stayed at the park for a long time, I was avoiding my birthday. We came home had lunch, and Paul woke up and shortly after his mom came. We were able to stop and get a quick bite at the Olive Garden. It is not worth it anymore, a lunch at Olive Garden is between 7.00 and 15.00, ridiculous. I was thinking that I wanted to try their never ending soup, salad and bread sticks. So I get there and look at their menu and their soups just sound really gross to me. So I told Paul to order for me, he ordered chicken penini for me, it was pretty good. Though I have a small stomach, so I think that it is just ridiculous that they won't let you do a half order on a meal that you order.
We then went to where we (I) had planned all along, onward and upward to Timpanogos cave. So, it costs $17.00 for the whole thing, WOW! It costs $3.00 for a vehicle to enter the canyon and then $7 a person to go up in to the cave. Though I guess that a person could hike all the way up there and then turn around and go back down without going in to the caves to save money, the thought crossed my mind. Though it was so amazing and beautiful and I am glad that I didn't miss it. It is a mile and a half hike one way, and on the way up my legs were burning horribly, my heart was beating soo fast and I was having a real hard time catching my breath. It took us 40 minutes to hike up the trail to the cave, and on the way down it only took us twenty minutes, going down hill my legs wanted to just keep going, it was kind of fun. I am one to freak out about heights and boy was I freaked out looking over the edge of the side of the mountain at times.
On the way up the trail, we walked by a few of these huge piles of snow. We got a picture of Paul up against one of them. Paul is what like six foot tall, so just imagine, this wall of snow is about nine to ten feet tall. The Park Guide when we had got to the entrance of the cave said that just last week there was eight feet of snow at the entrance of the cave in front of the door. They weren't sure if they would be able to open on time. There are actual three caves, the first was Hansen cave which was the first one that was discovered, Martin Hansen was the man that discovered it and his grandsons discovered the second cave when Martin was in his 70's. We walked through a couple of rock walls. In the caves, it was amazing different rock formations were hanging from the walls and from the ceilings, there were pools of water in places and coloration throughout, green, red, white, brown. Red from Iron, brown from mud and sometimes other minerals, one of the formations was named caramel falls because of how it looked like caramel had been poured over the top.
The heart of Timpanogos is the most amazing thing. There is a story or two behind it and it is also lit by a red light, lit up like a real heart, the park guide even started flickering the light on off so that the heart of Timpanogos was beating. It is the biggest stalactite, the "heart" measures approximately 5.5 feet in length and is about 1 cubic yard in volume. There are beaded helictites and quill anthodite found on a wall quite close to the heart. In the first cave and throughout some of the others there are some stones called "flow stones", where the limestone has been covered by calcium deposits and it can be pitch black and you turn on a light, well the Park guide turned on his flashlight and put it next to the flow stone and it lit up you could see the light shine through it.
The tour in the cave is half a mile long, and really didn't seem like it, because it took almost an hour long and you were stopping every few seconds and were talking about what we were seeing. In the mile and a half hike up to the caves we gained 1,065 feet, thats pretty awesome.
We tried to hurry home to our children, had to stop to get them dinner that took longer than I would I would have liked. I got up to the deli and told the lady that I would like the tater babies with my chicken meal. That will be another five minutes at least as she sticks them in the cooker. Okay so I wait my five minutes and then I stand there seeing that it is about to beep and am waiting for her to hand me my food, she packages the tater babies, puts them in a bag and hands them to the people standing to the left of me. Ooh I was upset, those people had come after me and yet they get their food before me. We had called Marta after we were done hiking and now it was an hour later and we weren't home yet.
Our kids were so excited when we got home. Kacen was doing a little dance, he was so hungry. He wanted us to open the bags and just let him dig in. He used his hands on the jello parfait and loved the tater babies and catsup. Abbi was about the tater babies, chicken and cantaloupe; Alona of course loved the fruit has nothing to do with anything that involves catsup and loves chicken. I also got this raspberry cheesecake pudding looking thing that tasted okay, Alona really loved it. We had a picnic outside the back door, it was nice.
The girls and their daddy cleaned up and made mommy a cake, we had baths while I made the frosting and they put the candles in for me. They sang to me, we ate and then we went to put them to bed. Alona was so ridiculously tired, she ran out of the room crying while I was trying to read scriptures and then when she came back she wanted me to read, I told her that I had already finished reading. So she was wailing for me to read to her, so in the dark I read a church book to her and then Abbi was all teary eyed and asked her mommy to lie down with her. I lay next to Abbi, put my arm over her and about two seconds later I look over and she is Sound asleep! I am able to get out of her bed with not so much of a flinch from her. It was 9:55 by the time that I walked out of their room and passed the kitchen, my children normally go to bed around 8:00!
Today's words:
"Go home", "home", "walk", "toys"

Catching Butterflies

Sunday was a good day. I woke up to a dozen roses, a golden pothos plant and home made cards from my children and my husband. I woke up the children and asked them what they would like for breakfast, thank goodness it wasn't too elaborate. One day they will be old enough to make me breakfast on Mothers Day! Alona wanted some eggs with her cereal, that was do able! They entertained themselves quite well while I got the salads ready to take to Marta's after church, a potato, cabbage and a green salad.
Half way through sacrament meeting, the primary was getting ready to go up and sing. The primary presidency was convincing Alona to go up and sing and I looked to my left and Paul was sitting next to me. He made it to church and just in time, they carried Alona up to the front, I could see her and I could hear her, It was great! We left early, it made Alona very sad, we should have stayed. One of the primary counselor's was sitting outside preparing for it to start when we walked by and she was saying look what you get to do in primary, we told her that we were leaving early to go to grandma's, so Alona was able to stay an extra five minutes and sit there with her and do a pot and put flower seeds in it for her mommy, she came and brought it to me and was so happy.
We got to Marta's before they came home and stood on the porch and waved as they drove up. Marta gave the girls bug catchers and nets, Alona was enthralled. They went out in to the front yard and started getting bugs right away, there were many bugs under the bricks that were in the front yard. Marta went with the kids to look for bugs they looked under pots,and found a butterfly in the back yard and helped Alona catch it with the net and put it in her container.

Abbi loved trying to catch animals with her butterfly net. She ran around trying to catch Cozy and went in circles around grandma over and over. Then Abbi stopped and asked to go catch chickens with her net.
Kacen loved the partial car that Papa had by the driveway. He would go and pretend to drive the car.

Last Thursday we ran out of gas while driving to ballet, silly me. I spaced off that we were passing a gas station while going past the library. And so we were at a stand still at a stop light at University Avenue and Bulldog Avenue, busy road. People were staring and honking, and its just like hello what would you like me to do! So anyway there was a nice guy on a bike that helped us out. He had rode by once and then came back five minutes later and asked if we needed help. And this real nice kid managed to push our van with four people in it to the Arby's parking lot, which was not a down hill push. By the way Alona is doing an awesome job getting ready for her ballet recital.

Oh and yesterday we went to target and the van was vibrating horribly on the way there, I had taken the freeway. Between 50-65 miles per hour it was the worst. I was thinking that Paul's struts are bad and his car vibrates maybe that is it. So on the way home I took the regular roads, and thank goodness I did... One tire was torn (the passenger rear), would have been totally blown to shreds had I took the freeway home and two other tires are quite bald. So I went to Big O today and bought three new tires for the van, cheap-o tires are expensive, I wish that we only needed one car. We are so blessed that we were all safe!
And tomorrow is my birthday!

Free food

Yesterday's word: waffles
We were at the grocery store, (smiths) and when we were finished checking out some coupons got printed with the receipt. Among the coupons was one for free Eggo buttermilk waffles. So we went back and got some. I asked them if they wanted waffles and of course they did. Kacen chimed in "waffles, waffles."

Todays words: Arm, Yes, roll, poke

the roll and poke both come from playing with play-doh today. He rolled it with the pin and poked it with his fingers. Yes, he learned to say it and sign it. Arm, we were making a Mr. Potato head and I was telling him all of the body parts as they were put on, arm was the word that caught him.

okay, so today I was trying to send an email, and it spell checked my last name I was clicking send but instead clicked replace and it changed it to bagel. When it showed me that the message had been sent I just had to start laughing, hopefully she (the lady that I sent the message to) knows who Heather Bagel is!

three of a kind

Paul got a gift card from his work to best buy and took the girls with him on Wednesday to help him spend it. They all came home with something, the girls even brought home a dalmatian puppy with a red collar for their brother, and a Thomas movie. The girls got their own puppies too with blue collars and were pretending with them for days.They also came home with the sequel to Peter Pan, Return to Never Land. Best Buy didn't have Peter Pan, this one was good though.
The other picture is them tonight, we took two pictures and each time Kacen was sitting there the whole time saying "cheeese" until his sister's decided to smile, put their hands down, their feet off their faces, etc. This was the first picture and of course was the best because Kacen was just beginning his "cheese" monologue. They all have new warmer weather pj's, Kacen has Thomas the train, Abbi has Elmo and Alona a cupcake. Hopefully Abbi stays warm, she is the only one in shorts. With paying 27 less in our gas bill this month, they were able to get these. I only found this out that we could actually afford the pajamas after getting home from the store and opening the mail, seeing the gas bill, woohoo!
So I've been invited to my cousin's fiancee's bridal shower and don't quite know what to get. I thought that it would be fun to do a cookie thing... but I'm not so sure what to include in a basket like this with out spending too much money.. So let me know what you think, here are my ideas: A cookie sheet, cookie cook book, cookie cutters (or not), measuring cups and spoons, canister set and then packages of flour, sugar, other spices, etc. So I think this is too much for me to i clude though my sister will go in with me ($15). So what seems ok to leave out? And another idea, A pizza basket: pizza cutter, pizza pan, olives, mushrooms, can opener, paring knife and cheese grater or idea No. 3, movie basket: Popcorn bowls, popcorn, movie,etc.. So wha tis the census out there, what do you think??

great combination

Elmo and Jesus were his two words for today. Elmo is a big accomplishment, before he would call Elmo, La, la, la, la. because of the song that Elmo sings on Elmo's world. And Jesus, well he got that one first try while sitting at the table yesterday eating lunch pointing to the picture on the wall by the table.
And is phrase for the day: Excuse me! He is such a polite little boy.

All Fall Down

Today's word:
Goose!... While patting our heads for duck, duck, goose; he finally, actually includes the goose!

Yesterdays words
Alma- reading storybook about Alma
Grass- while outside
Teeth- while putting his fingers in mommy's mouth and mommy pretending to bite him.
Achievements: turning knobs to open doors, he opens our front door. He now plays ring around the rosie, he was spinning in circles singing "ashes, ashes all fall down!" And then the rest of came and joined in with him. He actually falls down now, too! Him and Abbi have so much fun together.

Granting happy's

Yesterday while Kacen was swinging and looking heaven-ward he said "sky". He has been learning at least one new word a day.
This is a quote from Alona at dinner, "Mom my sloppy is falling out of my bun." If you couldn't tell from that we had sloppy joes for dinner. It was also asked why they were Joes? They were cute. Kacen likes to follow his sisters, Abbi got down from the dinner table and so Kacen was finished too, they get out from the wagon and he wants out too.
I remember when I was little, probably about the forth grade. I had earned the right to go to Read-It -Island. If a student read so many pages than they got a day of going outside for a fun filled day of water balloons, treats and a fire hose squirting at you. That day, before it started, my dad came and picked me up from school, I think that it was to go camping. I was so disappointed he had ruined it for me.
Alona has her dress rehearsal and photos for her ballet recital on June 7th. We had planned camping for that same weekend. I was not going to take that away from her, she has spent so much time in dance class(and well her Mommy has spent so much time dragging her there) I would love to see her smiling happy face when she goes to rehearse, get her pictures and performs. Paul rearranged his time off so that Alona would be able to go to her rehearsal and changed his time off to the weekend after I paid ten extra dollars to change our camping reservation that we had made to the 13th. Our children should be granted every happiness made possible and available to them.