RZR Ride to Hole in the Rock

While I was at TOFW Bo and the kids enjoyed three days of RZR riding.  Here are some of the highlights.  I can't add a lot of info since I wasn't there but Bo took a bunch of great pics.

TOFW 2017

I've wanted to go to Time Out for Women for years.  But life is always a whirlwind and it has been hard to get away when it comes around.  This year though, I decided I was going no matter what.  I invited my Mom to go with me and we bought tickets in January.

Bo and I realized later that it was the same weekend of a RZR ride we had thought about going to with Gini and Dan.  Bo decided he'd go with the kids.  That meant I was kid free from Wednesday afternoon until Sunday evening.  The kids and Bo had a great time and I enjoyed a much needed break from Mom duties.

It was great to spend time with my Mom too.  TOFW was Friday evening and all day Saturday. It's at the Civic Auditorium and is organized by Desseret Book (https://www.tofw.com/).  They organize speakers to teach and inspire women and remind us who we are and why we're here.  It was just the break I needed to rejuvenate spiritually.

We knew we would need to get there early and had been shopping around IF but when we ran out of things to do, we decided to drive by and see how many people were already waiting at the door.  We were about an hour and a half early and there was already a line.  So, we got out and waited.  It was chilly but worth the wait.  The next morning we decided to go even earlier so we'd get a good seat. We were a couple of hours early and still not at the front of the line, but we were closer (Mom packed chairs to sit in while we waited).  We had great seats for the day!

Killing time taking selfies

The speakers were amazing and I filled lots pages in my journal after I got home.  The quiet empty house was helpful when it was over.  It was nice to be able to take some time to review what everyone spoke about.  I made a list of questions to ponder.  I still have to go back to those.  I think it will take until next year to have the time to get through them all.  That will keep my mind occupied until then. :)

Soap Monsters!

A little over a week ago Jackson had his third grade science fair.  He had a lot of fun putting soap in the microwave and watching it grow.  I couldn't believe how much more Ivory grew than Dial.  Sorry Jack, I'm sorry I didn't center the picture very well.

Our Youngest is Four!

It's crazy to think that we no longer have toddlers running around.  Our youngest is now a preschooler.  It seems like we've had babies and really young ones forever but at the same time it has gone by so quickly.  As is often said the days are long but the years fly by.  I love the ages our kids are at.  They still like being together (parents included).  Hailey is just getting to the point where we aren't the funnest people in the world to be with.  So, I'd better enjoy this sliver of time before it's gone.

Anyway....back to Caleb.

Caleb turned four on the first of the month.  He has been asking about his birthday for months and was so excited when it was finally here.  Now, normally I like to make the kids cakes, but this time it just wasn't happening.  We went to the store to pick out his cake and ran a few errands.  On the way home we went to Subway with Brayden.  I got to hang out with him while the kids were at school.

We went to the warehouse to celebrate.  My parents were able to come.  It was fun and the kids had a blast celebrating with him.  He wanted to play Mine craft and they got to play on the theater screen. He LOVES doing that.

We of course opened presents and had cake and ice cream.  It was a success.  I love birthdays for little ones.  Anything you do is amazing.  :)

Here are some highlights:

At four Caleb is just a happy little guy.  He is calm tempered for the most part and just so sweet. When I tuck him in at night he goes right to sleep.  I love it.  Sometimes I think Heavenly Father knew I needed a break so he sent this little one to the family.  Not saying I think it will always be a cake walk, but I'll take what I can get when I get it. HAHA.  We all love the funny faces he pulls and right now Jackson and him have a cute little bond.  He tries to keep up with the boys and is pretty good at it.  I love that sometimes I can still get a cuddle out of him and that he still thinks I'm the coolest person in his whole world. :)



Caleb loves:
Mine craft
Treats
Nani (the dog)
TV
Playing Cars
All types of superheros
Being read to
Going shopping with me
Pretty much anything that comes his way.  He's easy to please.

We love you Caleb!  You bring such a great dynamic to the family.  I can't wait to watch you grow into a 5 year old!

I also have to add that he picked out his outfit a few days before his birthday. I was surprised he remembered and put it on when he got dressed that day.

So it Begins...

Yesterday Hailey was the first of the five kids to get a mouth full of metal.  I have a feeling that I'll be taking kids to the orthodontist from here on out for the next 10+ years.  :)

The first day of braces have made Hailey's mouth sore but she said it's starting to get better tonight.  I don't envy her.  I still remember my mouth being really tender.  But, we got her a cool blue tooth toothbrush and she's really excited to use it.  I'm excited for it because I can keep track of her brushing.  I'm think she'll be good at least for awhile because they showed her some pretty gross pictures of teeth from someone who didn't brush while they had their braces.  Last night I reminded her that it's really important to brush and she said, "Mom, I saw those pictures.  I'm going to brush."

I think she looks pretty cute and so far I think she is having fun with a change.

Here is a before picture.  Those teeth that look like I-teeth are her first molars.  We're hoping the braces will make enough space for the I-teeth to come down without pulling any teeth.