Cuteness!

Our neighbor found this baby butterfly and so we took the opportunity to take some cute pictures!

Too bad I don't have an amazing camera that can really focus in on the details.  Too bad Emma looks like she's half asleep, but I think they are cute anyway.

Our Handsome Jordan

Here are some recent pictures of Jordan. I love how photogenic he is! Doesn't he just have the most contagious smile?! And those sun-kissed freckles, I just have to kiss them too!

Our beautiful Jenna

I have been very negligent in getting Jenna's pictures taken so we went this morning. I still wish we had managed to capture that big amazing smile that I love.

Spring Break in pictures

We went to Snow Canyon in Southern Utah for spring break. It was absolutely wonderful. I didn't want to come home! We did run over to Zion for one day because it was so close.

Here is a picture of Paul and the boys on Angel's Landing. It was one of the most nerve wracking 3½ hours of my life!

My baby turned two yesterday!

I can't believe Jenna is two already. In the past I have not been a particularly sentimental person when it come to my children, but there really is something about your last. Jenna is our sunshine. As you can see by her pictures, she is almost always happy and smiling. She is also our little monkey and climbs on everything. She has already had stitches once and has had many other close calls. She is very sensitive to others' feelings and is quick to try to comfort them. Jenna is so much a part of our family dynamics and her personality has blessed us all. We love her very much! Happy Birthday baby!

We had a fun little party. Of course, Jenna chose "chocolack" cake! She such an addict already. She was so excited to open her presents. She loved the fun toys, rocking chair, quilt form Grandma and Grandpa B, and "If you Take a Mouse to the Movies" complete with large stuffed mouse from Grandma and Grandpa Huntington. What a fun evening focused on our little one.

We wanna be cowboys

We had a fun ward activity on Saturday. It was an oldfashioned hoedown. There were 3 legged races, a tug o' war, a duck pond for prizes, great down home food, a hay ride, and horses to ride. The kids absolutely loved the horses. We couldn't get Jenna off!

Freak Utah Storms

Yep, that is HAIL!! Can you believe this? It's the last week of May! The temperatures have been in the 70s!

Some cuteness amid the chaos

One of Emma's primary teachers is getting married and this will be her last Sunday. The other teacher had such a cute idea! They are having a little wedding shower for her at the end of class and Emma was asked to fill out this sheet. I had to save a copy for her, for when she gets married. (Unfortunately it seems to download blue?)

First piggy tails! So cute!

School photos

I don't know about you, but I get a really big kick out of school photos. Of course I look at my kids first, but then I like to peruse the faces of all the kids one at a time. I know most of these kids from working in the classroom with them which makes me smile all the more. I took all of the names off to protect the innocent, hopefully they wont be famous one day and have a photo they thought they had buried forever turn up to mock them.

For example, in Jordan's class photo, what is the boy in the upper corner thinking? You can't see it very well, but he looks terrified! And I love the kid in the orange t-shirt on the front row.

Or in Christian's photo, the boy in the middle in the red shirt makes me smile! The girl in the front row with the piggy tails brings back memories.

In Emma's picture, how can you not smile at the little girl in the middle with the scrunched up nose? Or, the one being held by teacher because he doesn't want his picture taken. I love that they took the time to insert a picture of the little one who was absent on picture day.

I am so proud that my children get to be on the front row of their pictures because they are the cutest! I know it has nothing to do with the short genes they have inherited from their parents. :)

I would put in class photos of Paul and me to make you smile (translated: rofl) but luckily uh hum, I mean unfortuately, they are all packed. Just be assured that we were always on the front row too because of the whole cutest kid thing.

Photos from our staycation

Christian Playing Chess at the Treehouse Museum. He is really very good!



Jordan the musician! Playing insturments at Treehouse museum.



Our Pretty Princesses playing dress up. One of our princesses tends to be a little rough and tumble. Can you tell which one?



We went the the Festival of the American West up in Wellsville. It was a blast!!




We loved holding the ducks and bunnies! And being held by THE bunny himself!



Holding turtles....


and snakes... Oh my!
(I have tried 4 times to get this picture turned right. You'll just have to look at it sideways!)

The highlight of the day was the Mutton Busting!! We cheered, screamed, and laughed as both Christian and Jordan gave it a try.



Jordan Christian

We did a couple of other things that I don't have photos for. We went to Fat Catz in Ogden on the same day as the Treehouse museum. Unfortunately, Jenna had an enourmous diaper blowout in the restaurant we went to for lunch and my mind forgot we even had a camera. I was focused on the smell that didn't leave us for the rest of the day. Anyway, after lunch and clean up, we went upstairs and watched some people do the indoor skydiving. It looked like a blast but a little pricey for this trip. Paul had the chance to do it with a work group and said it was great! Then, Paul and the kids had fun in the arcade while Jenna and I went to the toddler play area.
On another day, we also drove down to Sandy in order to see Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D at the IMAX. The kids loved it! Paul and I thought it was great too.

Over all our staycation was a success! We were able to spend a lot of quality time as a family with lower stress on us and our wallet. We would recommend it to anyone with more limited time and resources.

Don't get me wrong, we will be pulling off a couple of big trips this year as well.