Field Trip and Kevin's Birthday

One day maybe I'll catch up, but here is a video on our way home from Washington DC in March.  Kate was pretty much done riding in the car, and then I just started clapping and moving my head and she started laughing really hard.  I love it.  So much fun.

Kevin and I have talked about buying a canoe or kayak since we've known each other.  He finally did it.  He found a used one on Harris classifieds.  This was our maiden voyage.  He put Jane in the storage compartment.  I told him he needed to get a kayak like Nanook of the North had (if any of you have seen that documentary, you'll understand). 

Alice wanted nothing to do with the boat, so she chased birds.

Alice and the crane running

Katie pointing (uiu8u789y78u8uuhuhjhjhjjjnjnmnmjjkm)tfg6ygtyugygygytgt) Alice helped type

Kevin then took Kate out.  She enjoyed it.

Jane's first field trip ever was to a place called Green Meadows Farm in Kissimmee.  We had been there once before when Alice was about Kate's age.  Such a fun place.  A friend of mine and her daughter came with me too.  Since I brought the girls with me I couldn't be an official chaperone, so I just tagged along.

Alice and Jenna on a cute little bench outside the restrooms

Taking pictures while we waited for the buses

Kate on the big tractor, with Laura in the back

Jane and some classmate, Sadeem and Jasmin

Alice and the baby cows

Jane getting to milk a real cow.  She actually got some milk out.

Adriana, Jane, and Jasmin

Funny story about Jasmin.  She and Jane have wanted to play after school.  So I kept telling Jane to get her phone number.  The first number she gave us was wrong and I called this poor lady three times just to make sure.  The second number she gave us had 8 digits.  Finally Jane gave her number to Jasmin, her mom called, and we got together.  Too fun.  I love 5/6 year olds.

Mr. Dale leading Jane's horse

Mr. Dale is Jane's teacher's husband.

Alice would only ride the pony if Mrs. Roneker (Jane's teacher) led her

Everyone got to hold or pet a baby duck and a baby chick

The pot belly pigs actually wagged their tails in excitement with the prospect of food

Petting the goats

4 day old little goats

Laura and Jenna who sadly are moving back to Vermont tomorrow.  We'll miss you guys.

More goat petting

Chicken catching.  I was impressed that the kids were actually able to catch them.

Alice and Jane

On Kevin's birthday he woke up early and ran.  Then he took a kayak trip all by himself.  We went to Jasmin's house and played.  The girls cheering Kevin on at the end of his run.

Making funny faces

Kevin's kayak trip gave us time to decorate the house

Cards and presents

Then we had some karaoke fun with Abba

Kate loved the mic

One of his gifts was a pancake design maker.  I researched it on line and almost went with the pancake pen (which you can buy at Wal-mart).  But then I say a Youtube video and a dad was simply using a ketchup bottle and it seemed to make the details a bit better.  So I went with that.  He had a blast getting all creative with the pancakes.

So happy!  It does making cooking pancakes take a bit longer, but it's fun and the kids loved it.

Jane and her crown pancake to match all of her breakfast accessories!

Blowing out the candles placed on the cake by the girls.

A little glimpse into our(well my) fun karaoke party.  Kevin had fun watching and singing a little bit.

Happy Birthday, Kevin!  We love you.  Every year gets better and better.  Thanks for being you!

Easter Time

Easter Time!

My cousin Lisa, her 2 daughters, and Auntie Cheryl and the girls and I went to my dad's house on Friday for some pool time and Easter egg hunt fun.

Kevin had the day off, but I forgot to tell him we were doing the egg hunt and he was busy cleaning out the garage, so sadly he didn't join us this year for the fun.  The garage looks awesome though!

Getting ready for the hunt after swimming in the really cold pool.  I did not go in.

Alice excited for candy!

Kate following the big girls

Jane and Alice trying their best to not find all of the eggs before Sophia and Kate had a chance

Finding eggs

Alice and Sophia deep in discovery

Kate found that blue egg all on her own and went right over to it and picked it up

She was so proud of herself (you can see the smile of accomplishment on her face)

Katie saying, "Cheese"

Photo op

Racing back to eat the goodies

It was about nap time and Kate was wearing down

She got some more energy with a lollipop

And the only picture I took of Leilani was in the background of this picture while she was getting her diaper changed.  Such a chubby little happy girl.

Jane took a photo of Sophia

On Saturday we brought Daddy back to Gramma's house and let him get in the cold water with the girls.  They had a blast.  Kate is testing out Pepper's old floatie.  She loved it.

So happy, but very cold

Jane is my fish

Alice discovered she likes the water wings.  They work great.

Easter evening the Easter Bunny realized the girls already had a ton of candy, so their baskets weren't too filled with more.  They each got a fun puzzle to do.

The fun little tags I made

Thanks to Gramma, we had matching dresses for Easter again.  I love that they can all wear the same dress.  That's the beauty of having all girls!

Jane and Kate, so pretty in pink

Kate feels the need to squat when we are going to take a picture of her now.

So precious

Now you know where they get their bright blue eyes!

Jane and her best friend Sami.  If you notice in the background, Sami's 2 sisters had matching dresses too.  The Smiths were in Purple and the Terrys in Pink.  Everyone thinks we're related anyway, or they just confuse which one is which.  I can see why.

Great hug

Our family

Trying to take a picture of the 3 girls turned into an ant bite attack for Alice.  Right after this picture she sat down in the grass and put her hand in an ant hill.  Poor thing wound up with at least 7 bites on her hand.

Trying to recover

Take a picture how you can get it.  Poor little Alice.  I love the blue sky though and the pink contrast.

I look good!

My girls.  Life is good.

As you can see, Alice recovered quickly and was excited to dye eggs with Jane during Kate's nap

Oh, and Daddy's nap too.

Kate woke up and decided Daddy needed to be awake also.  I love her eyes in this picture.  Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.  We sure did!

It's always good to share my testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ, and I just want to share my latest experience with you.  So we are excited for our family to continue growing and 2 weeks ago I discovered that we would be blessed with another baby.  I normally wait till about 6 or 7 weeks to take the test, but this time I couldn't wait, so I took it right away.  The night we returned from our trip to DC (we went on another one and got home on April 1st), I started spotting.  I don't remember really doing this with my other 3 pregnancies, so I called the doctor first thing Monday morning.  He told me to go take a blood test and also to start taking progesterone because my levels might be low.  So I did.  My progesterone levels were low, but Wed the bleeding got heavier and they sent me to take another blood test and got an appointment with the doctor.  I was not so happy on Wed.  Tues night I got a blessing from my husband and another Priesthood holder in our ward (our old Bishop).  He said the baby would grow, but to listen to the doctors.  So Friday they sent me to get more blood drawn.  I was hoping to hear back Friday, but alas, I had to wait until today(Monday) for the results.  The weekend just brought more heavy bleeding, but I was staying hopeful and trying to stay practical too and hold on to the blessing.  During the Sacrament on Easter Sunday I said a little prayer and asked the Lord if the baby was coming yet or not and He said, "not yet."  So I knew that it was not the right timing.  But I knew that a baby will still come because of the blessing.  So today when the doctor's office called with the results of my test and told me that my levels had gone down, it was not a huge shock.  I am thankful for the power of the Priesthood and for opportunities to strengthen my faith.  I'm also thankful for the power of prayer.  And for me, I feel like it will be the same spirit that will be sent to us, just wasn't the right time.  I don't know how all that works, but I trust the Lord knows what he is doing!  He knows our sorrows and feels our joys too.  I love my Savior.  And I love my family.  Happy Easter!