All the going ons...

We decided to start doing Bountiful Baskets, and are very excited about it. We got our first basket last Saturday, and the kids were very happy to see lots of things that looked good to them. We have been going through snacks SO Fast lately, that I thought maybe this would help all of us to snack on healthier foods. It's also more cost friendly than buying a whole box of fruit snacks for each child every 2 hours! (Sad thing is, I'm NOT even joking that they could eat that much). We also just attended Tyce's Preschool Graduation on Wednesday evening. He did not participate in singing about the first 4 or 5 songs, but I finally quietly convinced him (from the audience) to sing. He did great! He worked really hard in preschool, and did over 200 Name Papers. You have to write your name 8 times on each page. He along with his 2 best buddies, won a slip-n-slide for turning in the most name papers! GREAT JOB DUDE!Ali has been going to a neighbors house on Wednesday evening to learn to ride her ponies. She LOVES LOVES LOVES horses, and ponies are more her size, so she's much less nervous on them. She's been twice, and talks about it constantly. She goes with her friend, and that makes it even better. She loves to trot the pony, who's name is Ollie. I can't wipe the smile off her face for hours after she's done. I am glad she's doing this. She's also looking forward to 4-H camp in June.

My news is NOT so great. I went to the doctor yesterday because I had such weird itchy spots on the left side of my face, and my left jaw was hurting and had some swolen glands or something. The doctor said I have SHINGLES. He also said he thought it would get worse before it got better. I woke up this morning with at least one more itchy friend. We have to watch it close he said, because it's aroung my eye. If it gets in it, I'm suppose to call. I'm not really excited about shingles, but even less so that they're on my face. I'm trying SO HARD not to scratch, because I don't want scars all over my face. Anyway, that's enough of Woe is Me!

Jody is working like crazy. He made it home from his study group at 2:00am this morning trying to finish their homework for tonight. They may have to stay after class tonight as well so they can finish their assignment for tomorrow mornings class. He hasn't complained a bit. He's sure been a good sport.

Danica is working on potty training. She has had some success, but we are just starting. I hope it doesn't take us all summer to get her going well! Kaden is finishing up his last big project for the year today, and we are so happy about that. We are counting down the days, and I'm so glad that we're close!!!

Hurray! Paige.

Paige had her Cheer Recital last Friday night, and did such a good job. Ali and I went to watch her, and left Kaden home with Tyce and Danica. Jody had school, and wasn't able to come with us, but he did get to see her dances earlier in the year. I was however, going to record the recital so he could watch it at home. On her first dance I had Ali take the still shots and I recorded the whole thing. When I pushed the button to stop recording, I noticed the little light come on the says REC. My heart sank into my stomach when I realized I forgot to press record and had actually missed the whole dance. I now unfortunately do not have that dance recorded at all. Oh well. Paige was quick to forgive me, and I did get the second dance.



This pose is the ending of her 2nd dance, and on the last beat of the music all the girls slide to their stomachs and it looks like to pyramid collapses. It's very neat and you can tell by the smile on the girls faces, that they all anticipate this moment as well. Great Job Paige! You are quite a good little dancer!

Happily Ever After

I have tried several times to get on and update my blog, but something always happens to stop me. We've started the last week of cheer, basketball is now just once a week but not mandatory, and so we will only have clogging and preschool left in May. Things are looking slower all the time.

This is a picture of my not so little anymore baby. We put curlers in her hair the other day, so I took her outside and snapped a few pictures. She absolutely does not hold still, so a lot of the pictures I got are her looking down. She's such a sassy little cutie, and we sure love her to death. She talks up a storm now, and can usually tell us what she needs. Funny story, yesterday after church she was sitting by me on a couch in the church hallway. An elderly gentleman was standing near us using the phone and Danica started to yell "MY BUTT, MY BUTT" I had no idea why she was saying it, and was trying to quiet her when Tyce said "No, My spot" Of course by the time we figured out she was saying my spot, the gentleman had already left. I'm posting this next picture because today is our 14th anniversary, and the most recent pictures I have of the two of us together are Mexico 2008. It's very sad that that's the case, and I hope to change that this summer.

Jody is so definately the love of my life. I can't believe how much he sacrifices to make sure his family is provided for and happy. He makes me laugh everyday and some days that's not easy to do. I looked at some of our wedding pictures this morning, and both of us have changed in many ways, but I can truly say that I love him more now than I did then. You just know so much more about each other, and go through so many things together, how can you help but love them more as time goes by. Happy Anniversary to us, and I hope there will be a whole lot more of them in our future!

Me and MY HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

Busy Time of Year!

April and May always end up being a pretty busy time of year for everyone I imagine. We have dance recitals, performances, and competitions. Basketball tournaments, preschool graduation, and of course all the homework that comes with trying to finish the school year. I guess if nothing else, these two months really make me ready for the summer break!

Kaden's basketball time had a tournament in American Falls last Fri. and Sat. Their team won the championship for the 6th grade, and better yet, were UNDEFEATED! We were all very happy for them. We did have one close call game with Burley. We won that one in overtime, but we had to play them again for the championship, and just beat them that time. One more Kaden surprise, HE GOT HIS HAIR CUT! He looks so good. He also is looking more and more grown up. It's all a little crazy for me. (I do have pictures of before and after with his haircut, but they are still on my camera).

Ali and Paige did SOOOO much babysitting for me over Spring Break because of basketball games. They did such a good job, and I was so proud of how they took care of their brother and sister. They did start their week off by having cousins come and stay over night, and they really loved that. It was fun to get a chance to have Natalie's kids here for a visit. Tonight both the girls are dancing in a competition that Preston has every year. I'm glad they are both doing it this year, because Jody's not going to be able to go to their recitals because of school, so this gives him an oppurtunity to see them both do their dances.

Tyce and Danica enjoyed having the kids home all week last week, and are still getting use to only having each other to play with again. They sometimes get along really well, and then sometimes Tyce thinks she's invading his space. Danica also went to nursery for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was not her favorite thing to do. I heard her crying several times, but she made it through the whole time. Unfortunately, it was some subs, so she will have to try it all again with new teachers next time.

Jody has been running nonstop like usual. He's got so much to do and amazes me at how he just seems to keep up. The class he's doing right now for school is much more time consuming than the last one. He's in a study group several nights a week doing homework, and then has classes on the weekend. Last night he didn't even get home until 12:30, just to turn around and do it all again today. I sure love him for all his hard work at everything he does. Just to add to his list of things to do, they also just put him in as the Deacon's Quorm advisor. We are excited that he gets to be with Kaden, but it is just one more thing to do! Hang in there Jo, you doing GREAT!

Well, I am going to try to go to Logan for a coupon run. Hopefully I can get the ward party pictures off my camera so that I can post pictures next time.

FINALLY... Spring Break

I can not begin to tell you all how excited I am for spring break. You might be thinking, "Oh! She must be going some where warm and wonderful." but, you would be wrong. I'm just so happy for the break from homework, getting up early, dance lessons, preschool, and running every direction under the sun. I know that you are thinking I forgot to say basketball, but I'm afraid that's the one thing that will still continue over our long awaited break. Kaden has a ball game in the middle of the week.

I'm not posting any pictures this morning, because we have a ball game to be to, and I don't have time, but we do have several things that are photo/blog worthy, but they will all have to wait. I mostly just wanted everyone to know that busy as we are, we are alive. Jody just got back last night from a week in Pennsylvania where he had training meetings for work. He had a good time, but he was as happy to be home as we were to have him back. Danica had a fever almost everyday that he was gone, so we didn't sleep really well. Kaden also had to different tournaments going on starting Thursday, so we have done a lot of running.

Now, if I can just relax this week and not yell at my kids about yelling at each other, and just enjoy being with them, it will be a successful and HOPEFULLY uneventful Spring Break!

What A Weekend!

Last Friday I went to the basement to start vacuuming the kids rooms for everyone to come for the baptism. When I went into Kaden's room, I noticed it was wet under his garbage can. With a little more investigating, I discovered a lot of wet under his bed. I pulled back his curtain to find a window well with a lot of water in it, and a puddle in in window under his alarm clock. All the water was coming in the window, and running down the wall. I spent a good portion of the morning with a wet vac, and good neighbors coming to my rescue! We had to pull up some of Kaden's carpet, and now we are trying to get a hold of our neighbor who lays carpet, to come and put is back down. It dried nicely, and so I guess as bad as it seemed, it could have been a lot worse. It could have leaked through the foundation! Saturday was a GREAT day. We spent the morning with some of my family while Jody went to school. At 1:00 Paige was baptized, and it was really great. Both of her grandmas got to share their testimonies, and Paige thought that was so neat. Her Grandma Jacobson also made her beautiful white dress for her, and she looked SO Beautiful!

Thanks to everyone who came to share this day with Paige. We really appreciate all of you. It turned out to be a WONDERFUL weekend, even if it didn't start off so well!

Yet another birthday

Her long awaited birthday has finally come and gone. She had to watch Kaden and Ali have their birthdays first, but she endured and it paid off. She had a really good day. She got some pet shop toys, clothes, a dress, scriptures, and some very awesome baptism things from her grandparents (Shumways). My mom is making her a dress to be baptized in, and we are very excited to see it as well. Happy birthday sweety. WE LOVE YOU!

This picture I have to share because it's so cute. Danica found these glasses the other day and when I walked in the room, this is what I saw. I loved it! These were Ali's sunglasses, but the lens' fell out. I had thrown them in the garbage, but that is Danica's favorite place to look for things to play with. Anyway, just thought I'd share.