I need sleep....

It's been a busy week!  Monday was usual busy fun around the house with James and trying to do laundry and watching Payton.  After getting the kids from school, Aaron had a dentist appointment, then we then spent most of the evening doing clean up around the house.  

Tuesday we had preschool here in the morning (it's kinda hard to print off preschool work sheets when hubby breaks down the desk and moves everything around :)  After preschool, James got to play with Payton again.  Then we headed to get the kids from school.  After, I took Evie, James and Aaron to the doctors for Evie's checkup and Dan took Anna and Eileen to Anna's trumpet lessons.  

Wednesday, after dropping the kids off, Nicole and I took James and Tayanna and headed to the library.  After school was just the usual crazyness - no extra craziness :)  Then I had choir in the evening, Bonnie and I carpooled to choir - she said she wanted to chat with me and look at the music library, but I also think she likes to watch Christina conduct and try to learn from her.  It was a lot of fun chatting with Bonnie - she is really an amazing woman in so many ways!  

Thursday morning, we headed over to the Wildlife Refuge for our preschool field trip.  James really enjoyed the old-timey dress up clothes.  We all enjoyed dissecting the owl pellets and trying to figure out what they had eaten.  James had a bit of an accident in the bathroom - he missed the toilet....  After the visitor's center had been conquered (and James also loved doing the painting and coloring) we headed out to drive and walk around - we saw the buffalo heard while we were out and the kids loved looking for things and especially loved running around the van without being in their safety seats.  After school was the kids piano lessons.  

Friday after school, we had Eileen's orthodontist appointment - she wasn't too happy about needing to get teeth pulled and in the not too distant future.  Then we spent the evening playing and having fun together.  Becca and Jeremiah came over and the kids played games down stairs, while the adults played games upstairs. 

Saturday I was awoken by a panicked Eileen.  She had found one chicken dead and eviscerated in the coop and the other two missing.  We eventually found the other two in the front yard (where we think they let themselves out)  I tried to calm Eileen with pictures of cats while Dan buried the chicken.  Then we rushed her to flute lessons.  After lunch, Evie was getting pictures taken, so James wanted to do her hair for her - he was so cute trying to spray it and comb it for her :)  Evie got her pictures taken and looked adorable in them, but then we didn't buy any because they wouldn't give us the deal they usually do... We are going to go back and talk to them when the usual employees are there....  Finally Eileen and Anna and I went to Women's conference.  The conference was wonderful - it was hard to imagine anything more wonderful than listening to the wonderful messages surrounded by my  two talented, beautiful, amazing daughters!!  (except maybe in 2 more years when i get to take all 3!) 

Sunday morning woke me up in much the same way.  Except there was no dead chicken body this time, just feathers and blood - we we are now down to 1 chicken and Eileen has decided that she's done with chickens because they are too vulnerable - she told me at one point that she wants a cow instead.... so we may have an outdoor cat somewhere in the future....  Church was wonderful - I got to go to a teacher training meeting which was wonderful as was the relief society lesson, but the best part of church was the Sacrament meeting which was the primary program this week!  The kids all did a WONDERFUL job - they are so amazing!  After church, we had a quick lunch, made cookies and then we dropped some cookies off to the ladies I visit teach and then we took the last batch to Heather in the hospital.  The kids did their primary program parts for her and sung some of the songs for her.  We all chatted for a while, then i needed to head home to get ready for a choir thing.  The choir thing was the Temple Workers Devotional which the Chorale always sings at.  It was an incredible experience - it's always a great experience, but today was ever more special than usual.  The music and the spirit combined to create an experience more beautiful than either could do alone.

Fun with Family!

We had a busy week and took lots of pictures!  Monday was my birthday!  I'm now officially 36!  Dan made me a pineapple upside-down cake and the yummiest dinner ever!  He found a recipe for Chicken Tiki Masala and Naan bread and he cooked a wonderful meal that I've been happily enjoying the leftovers from all week!!!  

I have a good friend with a son about James' age who she needed some help with picking up and dropping him off at preschool on Mondays and Tuesdays.  He and James had SO much FUN together in the morning before I took him to preschool that when I found out I was dropping him off for an early drop off and picking him up for a late pick up - I let her know that we would be happy to have her son stay at our house in the extra hours - so on Tuesday, he came and hung out at our house and the boys had so much fun together!  

James' preschool was also at our house this week - so on Tuesday and Thursday, we had friends over for preschool and James misses having his siblings around when they are at school, so he likes having friends over.  

Wednesday was Evie's birthday, Dan made her a pretty pink cake that she loved and she chose Ribs for her birthday dinner.  She loved opening her birthday presents and especially loved being at the center of attention.   She also got her yearly birthday ice cream with Grandpa.  She came home with a GIANT beanie-boo.

In the morning, James and I went to the library as usual and he really enjoys it now and participates and everything!  Then we headed over to my doctors appointment before finally rushing to pick the kids up from school.

Thursday was the annual school carnival.  We headed over a little after 4 and stayed until 7 playing games and jumping up and down and playing around.  The kids always love going to the carnival, and James was actually old enough to really enjoy it this year.

Friday the kids had off of school.  In the morning, Becky dropped Adena off to stay the weekend with us.  The kids loved having her here and all wanted to play with her.  She especially took to Eileen who happens to look a bit like her big sister!

Saturday was crazy.  Eileen had flute at 10, then we headed to Casa Bonita for a company party.  The kids loved it!  They got to drink lemonade, get flashy light toys, play as much as they wanted in the arcade and watch diving shows.

We got home from Casa Bonita just in time for me to mow the lawn then head over to the ward party.  I took most of the kids on bike (or in my bike trailer) and Dan and Evie went in the car.  We all had fun at the party eating more food and more desserts - don't think my kids have gotten that much spoiling in a long time!!  

Today we had a wonderful day at church and a fun afternoon playing together and enjoying the weather.  After dinner we had a surprise visit from some friends!  (It was only a surprise because I hadn't checked my phone) Our friends Mark and Marie stopped by with their cute kiddos and they all had lots of fun playing together.  The adults (and Eileen) also had lots of fun playing together, we pulled out Guillotine and played a couple games.

Labor Day!

Monday was Labor day and since the kids had the day off school and Dan had the day off work, we all decided to take a trip down to Garden of the Gods for the day.  We started out at the visitors center and enjoyed walking around the exhibits.  Then we drove around to find a picnic spot and sat down for lunch.  After lunch, we spent a couple hours hiking around and enjoying the beautiful scenery and each other's company.  I had fun taking pictures and the kids all had tons of fun posing for me.  We even managed to get someone to take a picture for us so we could all be in a picture together.  

We had fun talking together and got some good hiking in - the weather was perfect - warm but not sweltering.  We stopped in the gift shop and got a little family souvenir and a bit of fudge to share for a treat after FHE.  It was a little crowded, but miraculously, we never had problems finding a parking spot - we always seemed to arrive with just one spot left, or someone just leaving - so we got to enjoy it all with low stress.

Tuesday, we had preschool here since Christina's youngest was a bit under the weather.  We all had fun together - the kids wanted to spend the whole time playing outside though and didn't want to stop to come back in for more preschool :)  Anna had her second trumpet lesson - she's improving each week.  The kids all love getting to play on the playground while she's at lessons.

Wednesday James and I went to the library with Nicole and Tayanna.  We all had a great time together.  In the afternoon, I mowed the lawn and in the evening  I had choir - we got some new music!

Thursday, preschool was back at Christina's.  Instead of driving all the way home, I just hung out in the area and got some stuff done in the car so I didn't have to drive all the way home and all the way back.  Then afterschool, the kids had piano lessons.

Friday was mostly just James and I taking it easy during the day.  After school, we just played and cleaned up.  Valerie came over and watched the kids for a couple hours.  Dan and I went and helped set up chairs for Stake Conference, then we got a Jamba Juice and walked around Barnes and Noble for a bit.  Finally we stopped for some groceries and then went home, dropped Val off and made treats.  :)

Saturday we spent most of the day cleaning the house.  We invited people to come to our house for deserts after.  We also had Anaiya, Riley and Tayanna over to play to keep them out of Dwayne and Nicole's hair while they were moving to their new house!  Dan spent some time helping them move the big stuff, then I brought them the kids and dinner.  Their new house is beautiful and is going to be perfect for them!  Then in the evening, Mallory came and babysat the kids so that we could go to Stake Conference.  I was leading the music, so we needed to be there a bit early.  Only the Johnson's ended up eating dessert with us (and that's partially because we held their daughter hostage and wouldn't let them take her home until that ate some) but we still had a great time chatting with them.

Stake Conference today was wonderful.  We walked and the weather was beautiful.  The music went well and the talks were wonderful.  James and I spent at least half of it in the foyer because he refused to sit still on the stand, and he wouldn't sit with Dan in the pews at all.  After church, James and I took naps and the kids and Dan played quietly for a bit.  Then after dinner, we all enjoyed the weather and played outside - acting out fairy tales - I got to be a little piggy, red riding hood's mother and Hansel and Gretel's Evil Stepmother.  :)

Sleep... I need sleep...

This week has been rather crazy....  Monday, we had some new friends over for dinner and games and had a lot of fun hanging out with them and getting to know them.  They joined us for family home evening and scriptures, then we got the kids to bed and played games.  Eileen was not happy to be left out of the playing games, but it was a school night.  

Since Monday had been rather crazy, we didn't get our usual Monday stuff done, so laundry was finished up on Tuesday and shopping wasn't done until Tuesday.  Tuesday morning, we had a meeting to get things up and going for preschool.  The kids all had a blast playing together and I think everything is going to be great!  Tuesday I also was babysitting a couple extra kids and we had fun together playing and hanging out.  Tuesday afternoon, we took Anna for her first Trumpet lesson.  I took the kids to a nearby park for the few minutes that we could go play before we had to pick her up again.  It went well and she's been having a great time practicing all week!  

Wednesday was the kids late start day.  After dropping the kids off at school, James and I picked up Nicole and Tayanna and headed to the library!  It was fun to start getting back into the swing of our usual library story time, but odd not having Riley there now that he's in kindergarten. Wednesday evening, was my choir practice.   

Thursday morning, James got to go to Preschool.  Dan made him a sack lunch to put in his back pack and he got himself dressed and ready to go.  He was so excited and got mad at me when we didn't go with his older siblings.  He loved preschool and loved to talk about it after and wanted to go back again the next day.  He didn't want to go eat his sack lunch at home though, so we went to a park on our way home so he could eat his sack lunch.  While there, another family with little kids came to play and we spent some time walking around with them looking at all the grasshoppers.  We finally left so I could grab some lunch before getting the rest of the kids from school.  After school was out we had piano lessons.  We rearranged the set up of things so the piano is now in a separate room - the old school room is now the music room - it's an easier place to keep all the music stuff and it makes a better place to do piano lessons and keep the kids out of Stephanie's hair.  

Friday morning, Steve and Claire came down.  We watched the boys while they went to the temple and Elise cared for Ruth.  Their boys are so well behaved and the kids all had a great time playing together.  Dan got home from work early so I could go sing with the Chorale.  We were singing the national anthem at the Rockies game. It went well and was a lot of fun!  I got home in time to enjoy some lava cakes with Steve and Claire and family before they headed back home.

Saturday started off bright and early with me taking Eileen and Anna down to help me clean the building for the chorale.  We had lots of help and it went fast!  We got back home and I got some stuff done and got things ready for a baby shower I was going to in the afternoon.  The baby shower was fun - then I headed home to cook and get ready for Nate and Ally and Adeline to come over for dinner.  We had fun eating and chatting, then Dan and Nate set up a huge screen outside to watch My Little Pony's on.

Church today was great!  Wonderful fast and testimony meeting, great lessons and amazing people.  After church, I went to stake choir practice with Eileen and Anna.  Eileen sang with us, and Anna was an amazing helper who watched the Bishop and Crockett boys so their parents could sing.  We came home to a very yummy dinner, followed by some games and goofing off and then bed.  Since the kids don't have school tomorrow for labor day, Eileen stayed up with us and played 7 Wonders.