car talk

Just to set the stage we are driving home from a field trip we went on with Braxton's preschool. The kids are eating the lunch they didn't finish at the picnic after the field trip.

Adelle: "bunnies please" (bunnies are these graham cracker things the Easter bunny filled her eggs with)
Me: "Sis you've had lots of bunnies I want you to be big and strong so we need to eat some more sandwich."
Adelle: "well mom, I don't want to be big and strong."
very tricky of her
Braxton (while munching on celery, no joke) "what do you want to be, little?"
Adelle: "mom, I want to be little."
Braxton: "you don't want to drive?"
Adelle: "No"
Braxton: "you don't want to cook?"
Adelle: "No."
Braxton: "you don't want to loose teeth?"
Adelle: "No."
Braxton: "you don't want to do whatever you want?"
Adelle: "No."
Braxton: "you don't want to get married? Mom, doesn't everyone have to get married?"

Easter in pictures

The kids anxiously opening their Easter package from Gramy and Pops on Friday.

Jeff's mom is the master package sender! Our Easter package was complete with spring shaped and colored marshmallows, peanut m&m's, reeses pieces, quirky singing stuffed animals, scripture coloring books and a book about the reason we celebrate Easter. Plus, a bonus catalog and coupon for Fisher Price.

Saturday we got to go Celebrate the cute little guy on the left's 1st birthday! Bunny style.

The weather was so fabulous and my friend put on a great Easter themed birthday for her little guy. The funny part about these friends is that we all have kids the same age and they are ALL BOYS except for cute little Adelle!

Braxton is the oldest, which makes him the coolest, and so he is admired and followed around by all the little boys!

From that party we headed to a yummy Easter dinner at my sisters. These cousins are crazy cute.

There was jumping and lots and lots.....

of static!

This little guy is too much for me lately. I love one year olds!

Sunday morning the kids woke up at 6:30am! Why?
To start the hunt that could have just as easily been started at like 9:00.
Emmett was happy finding the full baskets and helping himself that way.

Braxton was his sweet self and gave Adelle his train basket when she cried that she didn't want the frog.
This girl is no dummy. The frog filled up a lot faster than her choo choo.

Sunday after church we came home and everyone napped. We were all spent and needless to say my family was understanding when we showed up for 5:00pm dinner at 6:00pm!
We literally woke up at 5:35pm. I'm not gonna lie it was heavenly! The potatoes could wait I needed some good sleep.

Do you recognize this picture? It's almost identical to the one I took last year of Jeff stumped over the location of his personalized egg.
My dad likes to hide the eggs. Actually "likes" doesn't quite portray the extent of his feeling about this. I think he's been coming up with a stratagem of where to hide Jeff's egg since last Easter. Either way it's always a good time.
After the egg hunt we had a family baseball game. I don't have any pictures because I was having too much fun. Bryce came home and brought Chelsey and Brent was home so we had enough players. Braxton brought his trusty bat, ball and helmet and even my mom made contact with the ball. It was a beautiful night for a ballgame.

one day two lucky girls....

....will snag these handsome fellas!

As I said before my brother, Brent, is home from his mission to Spain. It's been so great having him home! My kids have been in heaven. Adelle is so funny... she talks about Brent like they've always been the best of friends. In reality she was 9 months old when he left for Spain and she really had no idea who he was, other than pictures, until a couple weeks ago.
Brent is so awesome! He brought home these matching shirts (and jackets) for him and Brax. If you have seen Braxton in the last little bit then you have seen this snazzy uniform. Braxton went crazy getting this special gift. He loves his uncle and he loves clothes and he loves soccer (well, now anyway), so it was the perfect gift.
Don't they look professional!
Braxton reminds me a lot of Brent in many ways but especially in the sense that they are both really sensitive to the needs of others. Brent has always been very thoughtful and meek and Braxton is the same way. They are both considerate and sincere. I love that about them.

I could really get into marketing this most eligible bachelor but I won't go there. I don't think he needs my help and for now he's a great babysitter :)

this is how we do it...

Emmett always wants what the big kids have. Lately markers are his obsession! He likes to color on whatever he can reach, usually the floor or his own body. So I used my mad mom skills to come up with this brilliant idea...it's the new baby white board! Everybody won this battle.c
Adelle has been down and out for the last 48 hours. My poor girl has not been her happy, jabbery self. She is seriously sleeping in this picture. Sad Lovey girl.
Braxton never seizes to lift my spirits. The first night Adelle was sick I was holding her on the couch while he was at the table drawing. When I put Adelle to bed he showed me his creation. "I drew Jesus with all of us mom because Jesus loves us." If you are wondering why there are 8 stars and 8 clouds you are not alone. I wondered the same thing so I asked him. The reason is obvious, "because when we are 8 we get baptized." Duh.
He then proceeded to clean up his whole room and all of his toys that were scattered about the house before bed. I love what he said when he was done cleaning, "mom, don't you think this is the cleanest our house has ever been!?" No offense taken.

ring....ring....ring...

*Picture me sitting on a blanket in the backyard, with my babes, soaking up the sunshine, wearing my Joan Clever dress, and the phone rings.*

"Hello."
"Hi, sweetie it's Auntie Melissa. I just got into town and wanted to see if Gramy and I could come play with your kids while you and Jeff had a date?"

rapid breathing... excitement....appreciation.......desire......
"That would be really, really, fabulous!"

And so it was. Fabulous!
I did what any desperate for a date wife would do.

I disregarded the fact that my kids hadn't had a nap because of all the family hoop-la that had been going on with my brothers homecoming.
I disregarded the fact that my house wasn't cleaned yet and the day was almost over.
I disregarded the fact that Jeff was mid-way done with a project in the garage he's been wanting to complete.

Jeff is always game for a date and I'm gradually becoming more sporadic, thanks to his ever sporadic example.
I told him we were going out and he literally dropped everything and said, "sweet, where we going?"

I had it all planned instantly!

To the local food co-op for dinner where he had chuckanut bay clam chowder and she had her favorite 3 salad plate with the balsalmic beets! Yum, she loves beets!
He made her laugh with all of his hippie jokes and she giggled and batted her eyelashes.
Then to the tennis courts to get the real game on.
He dominated the first few games until she got warmed up and kicked booty! (in her opinion)

Fun was had by all!
Brent (brother), Bryce (brother), Chelsey (chocolate cake creator extraordinaire & Bryce's girlfriend), and Sean (cousin)
crashed our date after we called them and invited them to come challenge us on the court.
Then we shared the yummy cake they brought us per my request.

I'm so glad my auntie called me.
I'm so glad I got a date with my favorite person.
I'm so glad yesterday/last night was perfect tennis weather.
and I'm so glad we have an old Geo Metro that gets really, really, good gas mileage and that we can drive on dates and be close to each other and unlock each others doors manually and remember the times when it was the only car we had....when we were the only ones we had.

He's on his way!!

Right now it is 10:07pm Pacific time
Spain is nine hours ahead of us.
My brother catches his plane home at 6:55am Spain time.
That means....
He's on his way!!

We are super excited around here! My mom has been sending me crazy random emails at like 2 and 3 in the morning the last few nights. She can't sleep!
Tomorrow is going to be AWESOME!!!

story time

Emmett likes to point to all the pictures, especially the dogs!

Braxton is constantly playing with his nose. Is this a phase? Don't know.

No big deal around here, just Adelle trimming her toenails.

Someone noticed the camera.

I've captured all their attention. Yes!

Notice I'm wearing my favorite pants.

"hold on guys, two seconds"

No wonder the pants I am wearing are Jeff's favorite. They are see-through! Never noticed that before.

One of our favorite parts of the day is story time.
Last week the kids got fancy new lawn chairs from their Auntie Angela so they were implemented into story time.
These pictures cracked me up for two reasons:
1. They are so candid and honest
2. Jeff got the camera and took these all on his own. I think my photo obsession is becoming contagious.

We love books around here but I've been frustrated lately with the content of children's books.
When we go to the library it's free for all. That's part of the fun the kids can pick any book they want. Lately I've noticed that as I read them to the kids I am leaving out some of the words. Why would the words stupid and hate be included in these easy reads?
As an addition to the books the kids pick out I have been getting onto the library website and reserving books ahead of time that I think we would all enjoy. It's fantastic because I can reserve them from home and they have them ready the next time we go. All I have to do is find my folder and check them out.
What are your favorite kids books so we can check them out?