March 2014

Over Spring Break this year, Carter got to bring Flat Stanley around with us everywhere!  Flat Stanley even helped him clean the toilet! 

We stayed in a Marriot hotel close to Sea World in San Antonio.  Only two queen beds, 3 to a bed...fun times!

After only swimming for about 20 minutes, Bethany pooped her pants.  Yes, the girl that has been potting trained for 2 years now.  So, we had to tell everyone in the pool to get out and the pool was "Closed for Maintenance" the rest of the time we were there.  Whoops!

Look at the amazing dolphin jump in the background.  This was one of our favorite Sea World sites!

The sharks were pretty cool too!

There were various sculptures like this of different sea creatures that were all made out of trash that were found in the ocean.  It is amazing, but kind of disgusting the there is that much garbage in our oceans.  This was made of mostly water bottles.

We had a great time together as a family!  We ate cereal in the hotel that we got from Wal-mart, brought our own lunches and went out to dinner each night.  We especially liked Chili's where we pretty much licked our plates clean with 4 bowls of chips and salsa, our entrees and two desserts.  We were laughing at our piggish appetites. 

There were also come really fun rides to go on.  Beth, Cam and I stuck to the little kid rides, but Carter, dad and Wes went on the big Roller Coasters.  Carter was the winner going on one of them 7 times in a row!

Shamu, of course, was amazing!  We didn't get splashed...thanks goodness!

Chilling out in the pet show (including dogs, rats, cats, pigs and mice)!

We stayed until closing one night and the boys just about fell asleep on the huge netting playground.  

We loved Sea World!

Got to go walk around the grounds of the San Antonio temple.  It is very pretty!  We went to the Open House with Wesley and Cameron when they were 3 and 1.  I remember Wesley telling us as we drove up to the temple for the Open House, "I can't wait to feel the spirit in the temple!"  Then he proceeded to run around the temple touching everything!  He said he felt the spirit though!

Hanging out at the mall playground with the Putnams and the Fords.

We also went ice skating with an amazing Groupon offer.  All my kids loved it, but Bethany was awesome. It was her first time going ice skating and it was hard to get her to stop.  She fell a lot, but she just got right back up.  What a tough girl!

Girl's night out at 5th St. Cafe!

Our awesome soccer player, playing in the rain with Flat Stanley!

Beautiful double rainbow that we took a picture of from Gram's new house balcony!  They moved out of our house and into theirs at the end of February!

Kids are still loving Rugby and Rugs loves all the hugs he can get! :)

February 2014

Our little Bethie turned "5" this month.  She got a Belle doll, a glow in the dark pillow, a Leapster book, a bead set and a pretty new dress and bows.  Wow, did she get spoiled!

Gram got her a big beautiful cake!

Valentine's Day Preschool party with her preschool friends.  We played games, decorated cookies, read books and of course gave out Valentines to everyone!

Hanging out with Cameron at his V-day party at school!

Here is his whole class!

Making Olaf snowmen with marshmallows at Bethany's "Frozen" Party!

Then making snowflakes.  Cameron was a great teacher!

"Freeze" dancing to the Frozen music.

We also played a "Frozen" matching game and Pin the Frozen Heart on Anna.  They had so much fun!  Look at all that pink!

We took picture with each of her friends and the gifts they gave her!

Kenna

Dilan

Coco and Nora (obviously twins)

Macy

Kaylee and Hollie (sisters)

Lucy

Karlee

Blowing out her #5 candle on her "Frozen" cake consisting of powered sugar donuts stacked on each other and a blue ribbon around the bottom. We also had vanilla ice cream with blue sprinkles on top My kind of dessert...nice and easy to make and the kids loved it! For lunch we had "reindeer" (chicken) nuggets, carrot sticks (in honor of Olaf's nose), grapes that were actually frozen and "melted snow" (water bottles). Some of the kids were really worried that we were eating reindeer, so we had to reassure them that it really was chicken.  Really, what's the difference chicken or reindeer?

 

 Out to breakfast with two of my besties (Sondra and Lori) for Valentine's Day.  We each had  our youngest child with us.  Aren't they cute? They will all be going to Kindergarten next school year...bitter sweet!

This was Wesley's Olaf creation.  It is kind of morbid, but really funny!

Kids always having fun with Rugby! See the boxes?  Gram and Grandpa moved out to their newly 

built home the end of February.  It was fun to have them stay with us.  We will miss them (and Gram's cooking)!

January 2014

Wesley enjoying having his friends from church over for his 13th birthday party. Can't believe we have a teenager! They played ping-pong, ate pizza and ice cream cake, watched Pee-Wee Herman's Big Adventure ( a huge hit) and played Spot It and Quelf.  It was crazy but fun! 

Wesley eating charred marshmallows at our friend's annual Christmas Tree bonfire (they take their live tree, burn it and turn it into a party). 

Now, the kids true personalities come out!

Lots of fun with Rugby.  I don't know what we did for entertainment before we got him.  The kids sure love him and I love watching them with him.

Happy Birthday Wes, you're just growing up too fast!

Wesley always loves a good kiss from his Mommy.  I still steal them as often as I can!

Wes got spoiled and also had a friend from school birthday party.  They got to play laser tag!  Don't they look tough. :)

At the bonfire...

Even Bethy loves the dog! He's really good with her.  She hugs (more like squeezes) him all the time and he is really gentle and calm.

We gave Ken a certificate for Indoor Skydiving for Christmas.  We all went and watched.  He loved it!  It looked cool but way too scary for me!

Carter is the cutest "weed" I've ever seen.  He had to dress up for his 2nd grade program at school and it and he was adorable! The boys were all weeds and the girls were all flowers.  I think a little bit of discrimination is going on here. :)

We were so blessed to get to go to Conner's baptism.  He is such a great nephew and cousin.  We had a great time visiting with the Beams and my parents. 

 Even though he is actually scared of Papa's green comb, Wesley is officially in the order of the green comb...probably because he is now a teenager.  He is not quite up to the dark green comb like Papa; so he will start out with his light green comb.  Wes uses it every day and treats it special. :)  We stayed in a hotel room right next to my parents.  It was nice to spend some time with them.

Rugby loves to play with his best friend, Ginger.  They look like they are killing each other, but I guess they are having a great time.  It's nice because they wear each other out and sleep the rest of the day. :)