Top 10 of 2011

1. Kinlee turned one! She is growing like a weed. On Christmas day she got her first tooth and is talking like crazy, it makes me sad my baby is growing so fast! This year she experienced many firsts, like walking, running, dancing, and talking.

2. Kadence started Kindergarten. She is so smart and is doing so well. I really love her teacher, she makes learning so fun. Some of the fun things she has already done this year are: field trips, pretend airplane rides around the world, met Santa, made a candy Christmas train, Christopher Columbus came to visit, they got to meet a banker, a cop, and an ambulance driver, and I got to be the mystery reader in her classroom.

3. Connor started 1st grade. He also played baseball, flag football, and is in the school choir. He is a fantastic reader and loves to learn. He insists he is going to be a professional football or basketball player when he grows up and practices hard all year long.

4. We finished our family room in the basement. It is so nice to have a place for the kids toys, a fireplace, and somewhere Rory and Connor can watch all the sports they want.

5. Rory FINALLY put rock around my tub. It looks so nice and completes one of the major projects on my honey do list.

6. We accumulated a LOT of animals. We went from no pets to; 2 rabbits, 4 turkeys, a cat (who had kittens), and a dog. It had been so crazy but the kids love it. Our little puppy raider is my favorite addition, although the turkeys are so fun to watch. They follow us around and when Kinlee gobbles at them, they gobble back.

7. Rory got to go Elk hunting at the Mathis ranch. He shot a nice bull and of course had an amazing time. He got called into the Elder's Quorum Presidency and between his church calling and working 2 jobs he is staying super busy.

8. I took on a 3rd preschool class and got a job as the secretary at Price River Water Users. I am a little overwhelmed, but I know it will all work out for my family in the long run. Starting in January I won't be teaching the 3rd preschool class anymore, and the secretary job is only 2 days a week so I am slowly adjusting.

9. This past week we took our annual after Christmas trip to Salt Lake. We went on a carriage ride around temple square, walked through the temple grounds to look at the lights, visited with Wally & Kristene, went to the Children's museum, and swam until we were all worn out. It was such a fun getaway and I am so grateful for the time with my family. This summer we were able to go to Cherry Hill, Lagoon, and the Zoo. We were also able to go on a couple camping trips not too far from our house. Although most of our trips are in the state of Utah, we enjoy them nonetheless.

10. Rory won 2 Utah Jazz contests. This was a dream come true for him and we had so much fun meeting the players and dancers. The odds of winning were very slim, so the fact that he won 2 contests is crazy. I like that he is lucky, I get to reap the benefits. :)

Trains and such...

This month I had the opportunity to go to the elementary school and help Kadence with her Christmas Candy Train. Last year I wasn't able to go and help Connor, so I was way excited to get to go to Kadee's class. We used 3 musketeers bars as the body of the train and the rest was a candy lover's dream. It turned out so cute and the best part was Kadee got to come home with me after we were done!


After football season Connor decided to join the after school choir called "Musical Minors." He stays after school once a week and learns new songs and a little bit about music. He has really enjoyed it and this week he got to perform in his first concert. It was a concert at the school and I must say I was very impressed. I honestly didn't expect them to sound so good. There is a musical major group and the musical minor group that Connor is in. His group sang 3 songs and did a fantastic job. I am so glad he enjoys it and has found another love besides sports.




Kadee wanted to be "Festive" for her school Christmas party so we put her and Kinlee in their Christmas dresses and took some fun pictures. Kinlee is such a ham. As soon as she sees the camera she says, "cheese" and shows me her fake little smile. She had her first day care Christmas party today. She sat on Santa's lap (with no tears) and opened all the other babies presents for them. In her defense, she was the only baby interested in opening presents so the providers just let her tear into them.



Kinlee sporting Grandpa Earl's glasses

Here Comes Santa Claus

Last week Rory got the honey-do bug and FINALLY... after 3 years... finished the rock on the tub in our master bathroom. It looks amazing and I am so excited to have something crossed off our list.

Connor is getting so big. He is really excited to get baptized next July and was the shining star 2 weeks in a row at church. He loves to learn and is doing so well in school. He is in a choir group at school called the Musical Minors and comes home singing Christmas songs all the time.



This weekend Kadence had her first performance of the year at the CEU Craft Fair. She is so beautiful. She did such a great job, but she wouldn't smile. I asked her why, and she said it was just too scary up there.


Kinlee is a little climber. She climbs on everything. The other day I walked into Connor's room and she was to the top of his ladder and didn't know how to get down. She is going to be the death of me, my other 2 weren't climbers so this is all new to me!


We had our church Christmas party last night and Connor was one of the Shepard's, he wiggled his loose tooth the whole time and finally mouthed to me (I was in the audience) and asked if he could sit down. Kadence was in the choir and sang Away in a Manger and some other Christmas songs. Santa made a surprise visit and brought treats for all of the kids. Connor told Santa he wants a guitar, Kadence said she wants an American Girl Doll and Kinlee screamed bloody murder. I guess Santa won't be bringing her a present this year, lol.

November Happenings

I live my life by my calendar. I put every little detail in my phone so I don't miss anything. I am a list maker. I love to make lists and check things off, I love to be involved and right in the middle of everything, and I love to hear I did a good job. This month my calendar has been chuck full so I kick myself that I haven't updated my blog for weeks.

A couple weeks ago Kadence had her first ever Kindergarten field trip (yes, I put it in my calendar). I was so excited I didn't have to teach preschool that day so I could go. We went to the museum, library, and fire station. I love the library. I loved it all, but I especially love the library. I think it's because I love to read and there the possibilities are endless. Kinlee was such a good baby on the field trip. She didn't make a peep and was so patient as we went from one place to the next. Kadee's favorite part? Riding the bus. That's right folks, it wasn't the new fire truck, the craft, or digging for dinosaur bones, it was getting to ride on the bus. She feels so picked on that I drive her to school and pick her up. I mean how cruel is it that I do that? Every. Single. Day. I wish she could ride the bus everyday, but the bus stop is nowhere near our house and I am so paranoid about my kids walking past all the strange houses.


Rory went hunting with Kyle in Colorado last week so my amazing, wonderful grandparents came to stay with me and help me with the kids. They truly are life savers. It was such a crazy week and they helped me in every way possible. I am truly grateful to have such amazing people in my life.

I love the cute crafts and projects my kids bring home from school, but I just don't have the room to save them all and my OCD can't handle it. So, when they have accumulated a few cute things I have them take a picture with them, that way we always have the memory, but less clutter. The other day I had Kadee stand against the wall with some of her crafts to take a picture. She smiled, I took the picture, and she walked away. Kinlee watch all of this and walked right over to the wall and sat down. I said,"Do you want Mommy to take your picture?" She shook her head yes. I said, "say cheese!" and she showed me the cutest, toothless (yes, still no teeth) grin I've ever seen. Man they grow up fast. I think babies are so smart, smarter than most people give them credit for. I really think they understand everything, they just don't know how to communicate yet.




Last night we went to our first ever PTA movie night. It sure was fun. The kids were able to buy cotton candy, popcorn, pop, and suckers. They had a silent auction with donated items for parents to bid on to support the PTA and the best part was the movie: Cars 2. Such a cute movie. The kids loved it but Kadee was sick so she just laid there and dozed, not her normal approach to life. Connor and all his friends sat by us and they were glued to the screen. I love that he has such a good group of friends. Rory and I keep telling him to pick good friends and he really has. We are so proud of our kids and what strong, confident, smart people they already are.

Family pics 2011

These are some of my favorite family pics that Laurie Branch took for us at the Helper Parkway. They turned out so good, I'm never going to be able to pick just one for our Christmas card!

No Trick or Treater Could Ever Be Sweeter!

This past week was Red Ribbon Week at the school. The kids had crazy sock day, mismatch day, wear red day, crazy hair day, and hat day. For crazy hair day Connor had a blue and green Mohawk and stars around his head. Kadence had pink hearts and pink Christmas trees. On mismatch day the school had a "better things to do than drugs" talent show. Kadence and 2 girls from her dance class did their beach babies dance and did so great. Both the kids won red ribbon week prizes. Connor got a football and Kadence got a slap bracelet. On Friday I was the Mystery Reader in Kadence's class so I surprised her and went in and read a Halloween book and played Halloween games with her class. It was so much fun and I love, love, love volunteering at the kids school.



So Talented!



This hole is awesome!



Crazy Hair!


On Thursday night Grandma Rhea had a Halloween Party at the church. The food was so yummy! After we ate we sat around in a circle with the lights off and grandma told us a scary story. After her story Rory's uncle Miles came out and sang a haunted song. Kinlee was so transfixed. She really could not take her eyes off of him, so at the end of the story when he screamed, it scared her to death! She bawled and bawled. As mean as this sounds it was so funny!

Tonight was our ward Halloween party. We had soup, trick or treated around the church, and played games. The kids got so much candy and are insisting we have to go trick or treating again on Halloween night. Rory went to a drug court training in Park City for a few days last week, so it was nice to have him at the party with us. Life sure is hard when he's not around, I am so grateful he is such a great husband and daddy.


Football Star


50's Girl


Poky Little Puppy

A Hunting We Will Go!

Last weekend Rory had the opportunity to go Elk hunting on the Mathis property up Indian Canyon. Opening day he shot a beautiful 5x5 and the next day brought it home. He was way excited for the hunt and had lots of fun.


Today we went swimming to kick off UEA weekend. Kinlee had fun but her lip shivered the whole time. She couldn't stand for the tubes to be in the water, so she would push them out and then try to sit in them. I love my kids so much and love when we have long weekends to hang out together.