Whoops...I Forgot to Post about Connor's Birthday!

I don't know how I forgot to post about Connor's birthday. My only excuse is that we're in the process of building a house, and my mind has been a little preoccupied! It seems like there are so many details to deal with and think about. I'm really excited about our house; we've been dreaming of owning our own house for the whole 8 years of our marriage, but the process of buying a home and dealing with banks, insurances and the builders has become all-consuming at times...at least of my thought processes anyway. But, then again, I do tend to over-analyze EVERYTHING!...it's a weakness I hope to someday overcome... Anyway, back to Connor! Our important birthday boy that turned five on April 8th! We drove to Eastern Idaho (at Connor's request) to celebrate his birthday there. I can't believe Connor is five! The other day as Connor and I were snuggling I asked him if he'll always be my little boy. He said, "Uh huh...even when I'm 99." So sweet. Another thing he said to me recently out of the blue is, "I love you and Bo the same." Bo is our cat, but coming from a five-year-old, I think he meant it as a compliment...at least I'm going to take it that way! lol!
So, on to the birthday pictures!
Connor used some birthday money he got to buy this kitchen...he's wanted one for a while so he was really excited about it.

Nerf gun...specifically requested by the birthday boy down to the details of the laser on the gun! haha!

Opening up some more presents...


Uncle Jason...a favorite for the kids to play with, jump on, crawl around, etc. Anytime Jason lays on the floor like this...it's a matter of SECONDS before the crowd of nieces and nephews and our own kids climb on Jason! He loves it.

Blow out the candles Birthday Boy!

Gavin and Connor were really excited to see their good friends Ruthie and Rose.

Profiles of the Party-Goers!
My niece, Shelby.

My niece, Abby.

My kids' friend, Rose.

My kids' friend, Ruth.

My niece, Taydem.

The birthday boy himself!

My niece, Taylyn.

Gavin.

My nephew, Talen.

Aidan.

I Like This Quote

I recently came across this quote, and I liked it so much that I've decided to post it.

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbors children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

By Marjorie Pay Hinkley

Children's Discovery Museum in Salt Lake City

Last week we decided to have a family fun day together, so we started out window shopping at IKEA. Then we drove to Salt Lake City and had lunch at Tucanos. It was a beautiful day outside...the restaurant actually had their windows open and we got to sit by the window and enjoy the sunshine while we ate. After lunch, we walked over to the Children's Discovery Museum. The kids had so much fun. I know there are a lot of pictures here, but it was just one of those fun days where you end up taking a lot of pictures. I accidentally left my camera in the car in the parking garage, so instead of walking all that way back to get it, we used Jason's phone to take pictures instead...I think it actually took decent pictures.
This first picture is of a helicopter they have outside for the kids to sit in and play in. It makes real helicopter noises when you push the buttons and move the stick to "drive" it.





Inside, they had a news room where you could sit and read the teleprompter and have your picture show up on the cameras.
Here's Gavin's turn.

Here's Connor's turn.

Aidan loved the huge building blocks. With Daddy's help, he built it really tall and then knocked it over and laughed hysterically...typical for a two-year-old!

This is one of those things that has a fan at the bottom and you try to shape the papers so they'll "float" up and over the top of the glass...always a favorite for these boys.


This was on the third level of the Discovery Museum where you could send flags with messages on them back and forth across a rope. There's Jason all the way on the other side with Gavin.

Here's Connor sending a flag with a message on it over to them.

Here's Aidan making the balls "pop" in the air.

This was one of the kids' all time favorite things at the museum. You'd gather up these balls and then send them up the tubes and watch them suction up and around tubes and land back in another pile.
Here's Connor gathering up some balls.

Time to send them up.

Aidan really loved that part!

Up they go!

So much fun!

Water play!

Building time. This area was a big hit too.


Time to dig for some "artifacts" in the Utah sands.

This was our last stop at the museum and we had a hard time tearing the kids away from this fun "sand" box (I think it was actually some sort of foam made to look like little rocks). We tried to dust them off the best we could, but they all ended up with sand in places you don't want to get sand!

A Spiritual Pick Me Up

It seems like life has gotten a little busy lately, and it's been more difficult to have those quiet moments when you can feel the Spirit and have that comfort and peace in your heart. I came across this video today and remember the talk well. It was great to see it again because it just made me stop and think about how much I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Book of Mormon. Life can get crazy sometimes, but I need to remember that Heavenly Father is never very far away and that I can find comfort in the scriptures. I love how Elder Holland just tells it straight...no sugar coating anything.
Here's the video

Easter Party at Aunt Cindy's House

My cousin, Heather, and her family came for a visit from California. I hadn't seen Heather for years and years so it was great to see her at a little Easter Party that my Aunt Cindy threw. She put together some Easter baskets for all the kids and had a little Easter Egg hunt.
Here's Jason and Aidan sitting by my Uncle Don. To the right is my Grandma Barbara and my cousin's Grandma Ruth.

Here are all the kids opening up their Easter baskets.

Jason helped Aidan with his basket.

My cousin Corinne, my cousin Heather and her baby Jay, and me. We had a really nice visit catching up on everything...I felt like I knew my cousin Heather's kids even though I'd never met them before because of her blog...that's the great thing about blogs.

Watching Conference

I thought this was so cute Sunday morning when General Conference started and three of my boys were all snuggled up to watch it. Aidan likes to strip his clothes...and diaper off lately so I was just glad to find that he still had at least his diaper still on.

Later, as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir sang, Aidan was very interested in it and just stood their watching it really close up like this! Aidan loves to sing so this didn't surprise me, but he sure did look cute watching them sing. At church when it's time to sing and the prelude music is going, but no one is actually singing yet, is usually when Aidan likes to belt out with his loudest singing. It usually earns him a few smiles and chuckles from neighboring families who can hear him sing so loud and seriously. Jason and I usually can't help but chuckle a little too...it's pretty cute.

Easter Tradition

Every Easter morning we have Golden-Rod Eggs for breakfast. It uses up a lot of the hard-boiled eggs we have on hand and it's delicious. We eat the eggs and sauce over buttered toast...delish! All the boys love it...especially Gavin who could eat a half a dozen eggs for breakfast and still ask for more. Maybe it's a growth spurt? Anyway, that kid really loves his eggs so he was in heaven Easter morning when he got to chow down on our yearly traditional breakfast feast!


Here are Connor and Baby enjoying their Easter baskets.

My Mom and Cheryl Come for an Easter Visit

My Mom and Cheryl drove to Utah to visit my Grandma and our family here. While they were here, we dyed Easter Eggs with the kids. They also brought some Easter baskets for the kids for an early Easter celebration.
Here are Gavin and Connor working away on their eggs.

My Mom and Cheryl helped supervise and attempt to keep Aidan from throwing too many eggs. He got a little excited and we really had to watch him to make sure he didn't just toss some eggs into the dye to see the big splash!

Aidan had a lot of fun with my Mom and Cheryl giving them some of his best smiles and snuggles.



My Mom and Cheryl also brought some "Cars" train tracks as an early birthday present for Connor. I can't believe he's almost five! That can't be right. He has had a lot of fun playing with his new tracks...in fact, they're still out right now in our front room. He'll clean up all of his toys at night except for the tracks which he begs me to let him keep out because (as he explains) he's just going to play with them in the morning anyway.

Silly Aidan

Lately, Aidan likes to ride on top of his car while one of his brothers takes the wheel. He's fallen off a couple of times and we've told him not to do it, but he's two and listening to Mommy or Daddy's advice just doesn't come naturally to him yet (will it ever?). So, in the mean time, he's having fun going for little rides on top of his car.