April 2013

Well since April will be over next week I thought I should post about what we have been up to this month. 

We signed Zach up for basketball and he has enjoyed it. He only played 5 games but had 7 weeks of practice 2 days a week. 

He played on a 1st/2nd grade team. So there were kids who were 6 and some who were almost 8/9. So the skill level is all over the place. I missed his last game so while Travis was assistant coaching from the sideline he snapped a few pictures!

Guarding! We had to work on this with him a lot. And by the last game he got pretty good. 

A few more action shots. We are glad that he had fun. The problem we had is that he always gets put on the crap teams. Or as we like to call it "The Bad News Bears," kind of teams. You are not allowed to request a coach or certain players to be put on the team. However there were a few teams that were playing like the NBA and didn't follow the rules. But that's how it goes on the city league team. He wants to play soccer again in the Fall or maybe flag football. We'll see!

Well April is also my birthday month and boy was I spoiled for my 32nd year of life!!

This is what Travis and the kids got me! I got to open this up first thing in the morning! I got to sleep in and Travis got the kids ready for school!

Later that evening we went to Red Robin's like we do every year! I am enrolled in the birthday club so my dinner was free!

My mom got me this wonderful cook book! I can't wait to try the recipes! She also sent a necklace and a metzaluna to use in the kitchen!

My dad and step-mom sent a beautiful card reminding me how special I am and a nice monetary gift inside! Never too old for that!! 

From my best friend Janelle I got an Amazon gift card to use with my new Kindle. I got flowers from Bailey and Ryleigh, they are still alive and beautiful!

Thanks for all the birthday wished and texts that I received from family and friends. 

On a side note. My foot is feeling better. I just started week 4 in my boot. I have gotten used to it. I can walk without my boot around the house. So I am making progress. 

Happy Spring! 

Spring Break 2013 Anventure

This year for spring break I decided to take the kids (Travis had to work), to Pocatello, Idaho to visit our friends the Boyer's. They moved from here about 2 years ago and a few of our kids are the same age and were pretty good friends. We loaded up on Tuesday morning and headed out. 

We had lots of fun catching up and just letting the kids play! Madison and Lasey picked up right where they left off. It was like nothing had changed!

These two were connected at the hip!

On Wednesday it was warm enough to walk over to the park. The kids needed to get out and so did we!! I took more pictures but I can't find them? Maybe they got deleted!? Oops!

Lasey also has 3 brothers. Josh (10), Aaron (5) and Lucas (3). 7 kids in all! It was a wild 3 days!!

Then we come to Thursday where the trip ended badly!!

I was loading up the van to come home and I wanted to get on the road by at least 10am. So I was taking a load of sleeping bags out and I tripped...... and fell hard!!! I heard a snap and a pop and screamed!! My left foot turned sideways and my full weight went down on the side of my ankle! 

I immediately remembered R.I.C.E (rest, ice, compression, elevation! Thanks to my sports days!). My friend called her mom and she came to watch the kids and Rachel took me to Urgent Care! Luckily it was only about 2 miles from her house. 

This is where I spent the next two hours. Apparently this Urgent Care is not very Urgent. 

So after from poking and prodding, and a very painful series of x-rays I was released! They said it wasn't a break but a bad sprain.

They didn't have any crutches or a boot, so I got this. Now remember I still had a 4 hour drive home with 3 kids!!!! 

We got back to the house and Rachel helped me finish load up and we were off! After the shock and adrenaline wore off it started to hurt. 

We got home at about 6p and by 7p our friend who is an Orthopedist came over to check me out and to look at my x-rays. He wasn't sure if it was broken, so he took them and checked them out at work the next day. 

I got a call the next evening, and found out it was indeed broke! 

I was put in a boot and was told 4-6 weeks! Even though it was a break, it the treatment plan was the same. So no cast for me just an annoying boot!! 

Can you see it? There just in the middle below the tip of the pen. There is a tendon connected to that bone and the tendon pulled the bone away from itself! OUCH! So I have a break and a very bad sprain. essentially 2 injuries that will take their own time to heal!

So I am slowly getting around and can now walk without crutches or my scooter! It's still painful and swells at the end of the day. Advil and ice are my new friends! We have great friends, who have brought us dinner or have run errands for me!! We are truly blessed! 

March Happenings!

So since March is almost over I thought I should post about what has been going on lately!

It's the end of the quarter for school so that means Spring break! We are planning a trip to visit friends we haven't seen in a few years! I will post about that next week. 

First off we had a week or two of awesome weather! I think it was only 65/67 that day but it felt like 80!! I took the girls to the park for a break during the day and  it was well worth it!

Next thing on the calender was a lost tooth!! It had been wiggly for a while and during library at school he pulled it out himself!! 

This little one is full of spunk and fire! She can be sweet one minute and naughty the next!! But most of the time she is sweet! She has learned about half of the alphabet out of order. And knows a few of her numbers. She also likes to sing. Her favorites right now are: "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Soft Kitty," (from Big Band Theory!), "Popcorn Popping," and "Doggy in the Window." She sings along and it is so cute. 

Zach has started basketball. He really enjoys practice 2 days a week and games on Saturday. We have a break right now so pictures will be posted later, that's if I can remember my camera!!

This picture was taken yesterday while I was trying to make dinner! She entertains herself by playing with my pots and pans! Sadly, later that evening she got the stomach bug and threw up a few time. She is better now, but not back to normal. 

Last but not least, Madison made Honor Roll! She has been working so hard in Math. She usually has an 86%-89% in math and she needs a 90% to make Honor Roll. This time she did it! She was so excited!! She has worked really hard this year in the Advanced Placement Class. It's a 3rd grade class that is set aside for kids who need a faster pace, and work well above their grade level or who gifted. Once she is placed in the ALPS program she will be in it until 7th grade. Great Job Madison!!

my poor neglected blog

Well I realized that I have somewhat neglected our blog. And I don't really have a good explanation why!! Well I was going through some pictures and I came across these of Madison and Zachary. A week or 2 after Christmas I made a turkey breast and found the wish bone! I don't think I have ever found it intact. It's usually broken when I find it. 

We explained to the kids what it was. And also that it needed to dry out for a few days before they pulled on it. So after about 5 days we let they have a go at the wish bone!

They were really excited. And we told Zachary that if he lost not to be upset! 

Well can you guess who won!?!?! And can you guess how Zach reacted? If you guessed cried and went to his room....... you guessed right! Oh well there is always next year!!

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In other news. We got a new van. It's a 2002 Silhouette. Which means that it is 10 years newer that the blue "dust buster!" We had spent a few weeks looking and went to a dealership, but we didn't want a car payment. So we turned to Craigslist. And we found this one. We had a few days of correspondence with the the sellers and on Saturday we drove to Mountain Home to pick it up. 

It is 4 doors one of them is hands free. It opens with the push of a button. The other door is just standard. There is a few cosmetic spots that will need to be fixed and the heated seats went out. We may get those fixed!! Who doesn't like a warm tushy in the winter!! But over all it's great. 

Leather interior! Which is nice. 

Travis is excited to have a CD player again. 

We are so grateful to have a vehicle that will last us a while and not to have a car payment!! 

Happy Birthday Brynley part 2

This year Brynley's birthday was pretty low key. It snowed all night so the kids were home because school was cancelled. Our friends the Bishop's came over for a fun snow and play day. And I forgot to take pictures!

That evening we had cousins over for dinner and presents!

Brynley chose mini corn dogs and tater rounds! Needless to say all the kids had clean plates!! 

 Then we opened presents!

We got Brynn 2 pillow pets! One full size (a unicorn) and

one "Dream Lights" (a lady bug!")

They were a hit! I found an online deal right after Christmas

both pets shipped for $24.99!! The dream lights one alone is $29.99!!!

She loves to go to bed now!!

Bailey and Ryleigh got her Elmo pjs! She LOVES them! They are so warm and fluffy! And as soon as she opened them she had to put them on!

I love how Zach is protecting her from touching the flame! 

I don't think I have ever seen her eat something so fast! I made carrot cake cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!! YUM!

She had her 2 year doctor appointment the next day on the 11th. No shots but she did have to have her finger poked. She has had a history of low iron. Borderline anemic. I am too so it's no surprise. She did good and was happy to get a sugar free sucker to eat on the way home!

Brynley Grace McDowell

29.5 lbs

34.5 inches long. 

I don't know what percentage that is but she has always been in the 50%-70% for her age!!

I can't believe my baby is 2! Here is to a year for potty training, no pacifiers (I found 5 under her bed today!!) and lots of learning!!

Happy Birthday Brynley!

Today is Brynley's 2nd birthday! I can hardly believe that it has been two years! 

She has become quite the talker and has a spunky personality! Her favorite words are "No, Mine!" She loves Tow Mater, Elmo, Pooh and Dora! She is sweet, kind and cuddly when she wants to be. We'll just say that the "terrible two's" are in full effect! 

Her favorite thing to do is "color, color!" Luckily she hasn't colored on anything but a coloring book! 

Brynley has also picked up on sign language quickly! She knows all of her colors and about 20 other signs that she uses daily!

It's been a great year with her in our family! 

Here are a few highlights from 2012!

The girls wore a lot of matching clothes!!

We got to meet and play with new cousins!

She went to her first soccer game! She learned to walk!

Brynn got to ride Papi's horse Lucky! She also learned to say Horse!

The 4th of July was fun! She loved the fireworks!

We spent lot's of time together!

8 Cousins to play with at the reunion!

And lot's of mischief!!

"Helping!"

She refuses to smile when the camera is pulled out!

Well that was a year in review! Happy Birthday Brynley Grace 

aka Gracer, Bee Boo, Brynner, and a million other names that she will answer to. We sure love this kid. Good thing she is so cute!!

SNOW!

This year we got snow on Christmas Day. It started snowing mid day and didn't stop! There was plenty to play in so the kids had a blast. We had another storm come through over New Years, (the snow is still here!) And the other day it did it again. We have about 3 inches+ accumulated! 

Brynn got jealous watching the kids so I dressed her up and sent her out with the kids!

She LOVED it. The kids let her throw snow at them. 

This was after the first storm so not much snow, however now we have

about 3-4 inches!

It was later in the day when I sent them out, hence the blue ness of the pictures! Brynley loves her Hat and mits! Every time we go out she says, "Hat, need hat! Mits need mits!" The she takes them off and throws them!

Travis taught the kids what a "white wash" was. Zach is demonstrating

here on Madison! Brynley was trying to pick up snow without falling over! 

I love the look on Zachary's face right before he slams Madison with snow!! 

On a side note Brynley Grace McDowell will turn two tomorrow 1/10/13

I can't believe it's been 2 years!! Watch for a birthday blog post!