Kaleb's First Big Boy Ride!

Kaleb is getting so big. He wanted to ride his bike to Momma's house all by himself on Friday. As you can see... didn't happen. But he rode all the way from our house to my mom's house (about 1 1/2 miles) with Daddy next to him on the motorcycle.


He was so proud of himself when he got there. He ran all over my mom's yard saying I did it, I did it. Then he took a dive in the pool because he was so hot... HAHAHA!

After school got out, and my mom got home we went up to Twin Falls to the Temple celebration rehearsal. It was really fun. The kids really enjoyed it. Out of all of the dances our stake and Paul stake did the best job. Our stake, the Rupert West Stake did the 40's swing style dance The Lindy, and Paul stake did a hip-hop rap type dance to a song called "All about the Potato" it was so funny.

My kids and bee stings!!

My poor kids. These are pictures are of Kaleb and Kaerli. They have had a really bad time this year with hornets. Kaleb especially.

This picture was taken 3 weeks ago. Kaleb had been stung once on his thumb and twice on his forhead. This picture was taken the next day. My poor baby. This was an hour after giving him benedryl, before I had given it to him, he couldn't open his eyes. He has been stung more times this year alone than most people get stung in their entire lifetime. I think the count is 15 year.
People can be so cruel to kids. On the day that this picture was taken, my mom and I went school shopping for Mikaeli and while we were at Wal-mart people would point and stare at Kaleb and say such derogitory remarks as to his puffiness. After about the third or fourth time Kaleb caught on that these people were pointing at him. He started to cry, and asked me why those people were being so mean. I took his face in my hands and told him that those peole were jealous because they couldn't look as cute has him. So the next time someone said something mean he had a huge puffy smile on his face, sat up straighter and said, TO THEM, "Yes I am cute aren't I!" It is so amazing how some children can turn a bad thing into a good experience.
The bad thing is, on Wednesday he got stung again right on the back of his ear. His forhead right between his nose started to swell. He looked like he had had a horn and we cut it off... He is becoming paranoid about hornets and bees though. After he got stung on Wednesday, he screamed and flailed his arms around saying that the hornets were getting him for 45 minutes. Along with the benedryl and tylenol we had to give him something to knock him out. My poor baby!


Kaerli isn't as bad. She got stung 2 times on the forhead and once on the nose last night while at my moms house. She hasn't swelled up quite as bad, but it is only 10 in the morning. We have been right on top with the benedryl, so I am hoping that she doesn't swell up much more than she already has. It is a good thing hornet season is almost over!

School time again!!!

Mikaeli's first day in the First Grade was August 20th. She is again attending Mtn View Elementary. Her first grade teacher is Ms. Sahr.

Mikaeli is so excited to be back in school, she is also excited that she gets to eat breakfast (for free) AND lunch in the school cafeteria. She also gets to play on the big kid play ground which last year they were not allowed.


This is a picture of Mikaeli's classroom door. She wouldn't let me get more pictures of her on the way in. Kids these days they just don't understand. Haha

Mikaeli was standing in front of her OWN desk. They don't have to sit at a round table this year, they get their OWN desk filled with their OWN stuff!!! She was really excited about that!

I have officially become the embarrassing parent!!! As you can see from this picture she is quite annoyed with me. She even said that I was "SO EMBARRASSING" HAHA!!! The best part is, the other mothers that were in the room were sad that they didn't bring their camera's.
I am so happy that she loves school. She jumps out of bed, and hurries to get ready so that she can be early for school. When she gets home she goes on and on about how "awesome" school was that day. She just impresses me all the time.

Long Awaited Pregnancy Photo's!!!

Ok, Ok, Ok. I have heard from a lot of people that they would like to see pictures of me pregnant this time. I have done so well dodging photo's for so long that at my birthday party tonight, my mom took a few pictures of me pregnant.


This is a front view of me at 7 3/4 months (31 1/2 weeks). I know I am not standing up straight... it is kinda hard.


And this is the side view. I can guarantee that this is me at 7 3/4 months. I have had a much better, more balanced diet this pregnancy, not to mention I have been doing some light excercising. I also have not been over induldging in junk food like I did with the other three. I have only gained 16 lbs with this pregnancy (which is doing really well, they have lowered the amount of weight that you should gain from 20-25lbs to 15-20) so I am right in the middle of the weight range. I only have 6 weeks left, YEAH!!!!!
The kids are becoming very excited about the baby's upcoming arrival. They all love putting their hands on my tummy and feeling the baby kick. It has become an every day event.

These next two pictures were taken today. One day after the first two... I think that they look much better... I looked horrible yesterday on my birthday. No make-up. YUCK

Here is another side view. Again yes I am 7 3/4 months pregnant. My due date is October 16th. Boy I can't wait to be done. It has been way too hot and I am SOOO tired. Thank Heavens for A/C!!!!!

An AMAZING Week!!!

This has truly been an AMAZING week. And to tell you the truth, it is only Tuesday, so I have high hopes for the rest of the week.
First off I only have 7 more weeks until our baby girl will be born YEAH!!!! Sorry I had to get that out of the way. I am very ready to be done being pregnant... This has been a very hot summer for me.
Ok now onto the real reasons that this has been an amazing week. My children have just been so amazing. All three children have done new things that just blow my mind.

Kaleb has been teaching himself how to ride a two-wheeler. He has been trying to ride for about 3 weeks, but on Sunday, before we went to church, he got on the bike and just started going. Previously he hadn't been able to go more than 2 peddles without putting his feet down. Not any more. He will ride around our little circle drive 2-3 times before he will stop. Completely amazing!!!


Here is another picture of him riding.



Yesterday we went to Cherry Hill (a small water park in Centerville Utah.)I am sorry I forgot my camera so I don't have pictures of them at Cherry Hill, but I do have pictures of them swimming. Mikaeli taught herself how to swim last year so that she could stay a week at Aunt Becky's house (Dan's sister). Yesterday she taught herself how to swim long distances (bring on Dara Torres). She did so well I am so proud of her.


Kaleb also learned how to swim, mostly under water, but he was adamant that he wanted to "keep up" Mikaeli in the pool, so I taught him in my mom's pool, and he really went in for the long haul at the pool at Cherry Hill (bring on Michael Phelps). Kaerli also learned how to swim...a little. She won't do long distances but she went a ways... She mostly doggie paddled. She was so cute, and very proud of herself.
While at Cherry Hill, they have two pretty scary water rides for little kids. All of my kids tackled them. Mikaeli and Kaleb went on the twisty water slide by themselves. They just astounded me. They also have a ride called riptide rapids, what it is, is you are on a tube going down a water slide (of sorts) and it is like you are on white water rapids. Again all three kids went on it. Kaerli got a little scared, and only went once. Kaleb and Mikaeli went 3 or 4 times. They had a blast.
Kaerli has done so well with her potty training. She still has a few accidents here and there, but she hardly needs pull-ups any more. Just at night. I know... I know... AMAZING!!! :)

Kaerli's Potty Training

We are working really hard trying to get Kaerli potty trained before the baby comes in 7 1/2ish weeks. She is doing pretty well. We started out with the sticker reward method which worked for a while, but then she got very bored with putting stickers on the chart. Now we do the "num-num, or M&M" method. Which is every time she tells us she has to go potty and she suceeds she gets 6 num-nums, every time she tells us she needs to go potty and can't go she gets 2 num-nums for trying. I don't like the idea of candy as a reward, but it is working, and she will hopefully be completely potty trained before I deliver. I am not going to do two diapers again... Very expensive. Although I doubt that Kaleb and Kaerli will be night trained before I deliver so we may have to do goodnights and diapers... YUCK! Keep your fingers crossed.

Kaerli's Self-haircut 7-15-08

This was taken in the middle of July, sorry it took me so long to get it on here. While I was mowing the lawn at my parents house, Kaerli decided that she didn't like her bangs any more and therefore searched (for a long time I might add given that we, and my parents hide our scissors) and cut her hair. I am not going to say who was inside while this was happening, but needless to say the parental intuition that runs in the mother's veins wasn't working in these people.



So she buzzed her bangs with scissors, and then got yelled at when Mommy came in for a drink of water and found her with the scissors. I was then accused of letting my overly hormonal emotions take over (by Dan and my dad) who continued to tell me that it wasn't a big deal. Needless to say, Mikaeli did the same thing 2 1/2 months before I delivered Kaerli, and Kaerli cut her hair 2 1/2 months before I have this little girl.


No we haven't decided on a name yet. We have 7 1/2 weeks to go, and have a list of 6 or 7 names. We will see when she gets here. Kaleb has come to grips with the fact that we are having another sister. We explained to him that since he was the only boy in our family (other than Daddy) that made it so he gets to do special things with daddy that the girls don't get to do. So he is ok with it now. :)