Chase's Roller Blades

Chase has thought about getting roller blades for awhile.  Going ice skating confirmed Chase's desire to get roller blades.  (One of his little friends that has roller blades did really well ice skating.) So we looked on-line and found a pair that Chase wanted.  He used his birthday money to buy them.  Two days later, the roller blades showed up and Chase was so excited to start trying them out.  He's doing great with them.  I make him wear all of his "safety gear."  We went for a walk the other night and Chase wore his roller blades.   He's catching on really fast.  He looks like a pro!

Chase's 3rd Grade Field Trip

 For Chase's third grade field trip, they went ice skating.  He was so excited to ride the bus!  I met his class at the ice rink.  Chase's school was the only one on the ice.  There were lots of kids but everyone was having fun.  Chase started out with some ice hockey skates but they were a little difficult because it didn't have the "toe pick" on the end.  He decided to switch to a regular ice skate and it went much better.  He took off!!!!  He had great balance.  He only fell a few times.  Luckily no broken bones! Chase has a really nice friend named Sam.  He sits next to him at school.  Sam has roller blades so he did really great on the ice.  He was so sweet to stay right next to Chase.  The kids were able to skate for almost two hours.  After skating, they went to a park and ate lunch.  The field trip took most of the day so when they got back to school, it was time to go home.  Chase got to be an early bird this morning and start school at 8:00.  But he got to come home at 2:00.  He loves the earlier schedule but I don't.

I was so happy that I could go ice skating with Chase.  It was a fun morning.  I haven't been ice skating since I was a kid.  I told Chase that Grandma R. took lessons when she was a little girl.  She would teach us a few tricks when we would go skating.

Happy Spring!

 I'm so happy that things are warming up and that spring is in the air.  I love seeing the signs of spring all around me.  It makes my soul so happy!   I thought the boys looked so handsome in their Easter outfits that I made them take a few pictures after church.  Bridger was so funny because he wanted to be right next to Chase for all the pictures.  They love to put their arms around each other and give each other big hugs.  I'm so grateful that they are best friends.  Chase is a very protective older brother.  And Bridger looks up to Chase with complete adoration.  I hope they always stay close.  I just can't believe how fast they are growing up.  I can't believe that it's been a year since Chase was baptized.  I feel so blessed that our boys are healthy and happy.  They bring so much love, joy, and laughter into our lives.

Spring Break 2012!

Sweet Kaye and Allan offered their cabin to our family to use over spring break.  So we had to take advantage of the offer. The W's were on spring break the week before us so they came up on Wednesday with Mom and Dad.  Our spring break is next week so we ended up coming to the cabin on Friday. We were going to spend Friday night with Matt but things changed and we came up Friday instead of Saturday to bring Mom some medicine.  Marilyn drove up with me.  I loved talking to her and it made the drive go by quickly.  We made it to the cabin just as it was getting dark.  Bud's family came up Friday night too.  We loved having all the cousins play together.  The Easter Bunny came during the night and left baskets out for Saturday morning.  The kids were so excited that the Easter bunny found us.  He left lots of eggs and candy for the kids to find.  He even hid some jelly beans in the rocks around the fire place.  Grandpa made his yummy french toast for breakfast!!!  It's one of my favorite things for breakfast.

 

Fun with the cousins.  Michael, Uncle Brandon, Maddy, Chase, Bridger and Karly playing iPad games.  Uncle Brandon always finds the best iPad games!

Grandma R had the kids make a bunny using a paper plate.  Bridger's bunny is very colorful.  

Kite flying quickly became one of our favorite activities.  Grandpa R. brought up his new Star Wars box kite.  The boys thought it was awesome!!!  The wind just wasn't consistent.  It was never enough to keep the kites up in the air for longer than a couple of minutes.  But we sure had a fun time trying.  

It's a happy picture of Caleb!!!!

Julie and Aliyah are best friends.  When Shantelle and Robby arrived, Julie came running up to the car yelling "Aliyah! Aliyah!!!!"  They play so sweetly together.  

We decorated Easter eggs during the afternoon.  Mom cooked 3 dozen eggs so there were plenty of eggs for everyone to decorate.  At the end of it, Dad did his tradition and taught the kids how to make speckled eggs (with oil).  We had lots of fun combinations.

We had a great Easter egg hunt.  There were lots of eggs to be found around the yard.  Some eggs were hid in tricky places.  But everyone found lots of eggs so no one was in need of candy by the end.

I love this picture of Marilyn.  During the egg hunt, I was busy taking pictures and trying to keep up with the kids.  I looked up at Marilyn standing on the porch with pure joy on her face.  It made me stop and soak up the moment.  Life is filled with little moments and we need to stop and enjoy them.  How wonderful to be in beautiful B.L. surrounded by family!!!  The picture of Mom and Dad is another one of my favorite pictures.  When Mom and Dad went to New Zealand on their trip, some of the natives would take pictures like this.  So Dad thinks that it is so funny to pose like this for pictures.  It cracks me up when they do this!  

We celebrated Maddy's 10th birthday on Easter.  She wanted chocolate cupcakes with blue icing.  We gave her the peace shirt that she is wearing.  When I saw the shirt at Target, I knew I had to get it for Maddy because it just looks like her.  It's her favorite color and she's all about the peace sign right now.  She's getting so grown up.  Her big birthday present was a ticket to go see Wicked in August.  She knew that other members of the family were going but Rob and Mylissa had told her it was too expensive.  So when she opened her card telling her she was going to Wicked, she started to scream and jump up and down.  It was priceless!

Chase brought up his mini fusball game.  We had lots of competitions playing this game.  It was so much fun! I loved watching Chase and Grandpa play.  They played the best 2 out of three games and Chase barely won!  Grandpa was a good sport.  

Saturday afternoon Bud's family went home.  We were so glad they came up even if it was for a short time.  Mylissa's family was going to go home Sunday but they decided to spend the day with us and go home first thing Monday morning.  Mom and Dad left Monday morning too so then it was just Shantelle, Aliyah, me and the boys.  We were going to go home Tuesday but we were having so much fun that we called Kaye and asked her if we could stay one more day.  Kaye was darling about it.  She said we could stay all week.  Unfortunately I had to work Thursday so we came home Wednesday afternoon.  We had so much fun hiking, playing games, watching movies, doing crafts and puzzles and just being together.  I love the quietness!  We love the memories we make when we come to Kaye's cabin.  Thanks Kaye and Allan! April 6-11, 2012

Happy 41st Birthday Matt!

 So for Matt's birthday, he requested to go to dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  Charlene and Ardell came down in the afternoon and came to dinner with us.  The boys were so excited that Matt chose Texas Roadhouse because he has to sit on the saddle for his birthday.  They remembered from his last birthday.  So the entire dinner Bridger kept asking "when is Daddy going to sit on the saddle?"  At the end of dinner, our waitress brought out the saddle and had Matt sit on it.  Instead of singing "happy birthday" they announce to the whole restaurant that it's your birthday and have everyone say "ye ha!"  Matt was such a good sport.  He told me during dinner that he was only doing it for the boys.  He knew they would be disappointed if he didn't do it.  Definitely true!  The boys loved seeing Matt on the saddle.  I loved their expressions.  Bridger was a little disappointed that they didn't sing Matt "happy birthday."  Bridger announced that he wants to go to Texas Roadhouse for his birthday so he can sit on the saddle.

 After dinner Matt did what everyone dreams of doing for their birthday.....he went to Pack Meeting!!!!  Chase was officially welcomed into my Bear Den.  At the end, the Pack Master had Matt come up to the front of the room and everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to Matt.  He was a good sport about it.

After Pack Meeting, we went back to the house for cake and ice cream.  We invited the C's to come up and celebrate with us.  I tired to buy Matt's favorite ice cream, chocolate marshmallow but the store didn't have any so I bought a carmel one instead.  Matt loves chocolate cake and anything with carmel.  After cake, we had a few neighbors stop by to wish Matt a happy birthday.  We were thrilled to have the Blair family come over and visit for a while.  We love them so much!  It meant a lot to Matt that they would come over.  

Matt actually opened up his presents before cake.  The boys just couldn't wait.  The boys gave Matt a "never flat" basketball which he was very excited about.  The main thing Matt wished for was a heart rate monitor.  So I surprised him with a polar heart rate monitor.  I hope he likes it and more importantly uses it:)  Happy birthday Matt!  We love you so much and appreciate all you do for us.  You are an amazing husband and father.  You are constantly serving us and others.