13 Years and Counting!

Happy 13th Anniversary!

That makes me feel so old! It has been a crazy 13 years. We have had many ups and downs while on this adventure. The ups definitely out-weigh the downs; four beautiful children, lost dreams, new hopes, six different homes, many laughs, and a few tears. In this crazy world it is a blessing to know that I have someone who loves me through it all and will always be there for me. Matt, you may not be perfect, but you are perfect for me. I love you!

Swimming Lessons!

Sami started taking swim lessons a few weeks ago. Due to her little head injury, she took last week off. On Monday she started back up again and we decided to try Ava out as well. I was a little nervous about Ava. She has some serious separation issues, bit she did really well. They are taking from a lady that all of my friends have raved about. And now I know why! She has worked wonders with both of the girls. She commented that Sami is a natural and Ava is doing awesome as well. Within three days Ava can swim short distances with a little guidance and is not afraid to dive under to retrieve the toys. After a week Sami can now swim across the pool. They both look as if they are on the verge of drowning, but they make it. I am amazed at how well they are both doing. I told Matt that this means we need to buy a house with a pool. His comment was, "Just another reason why we need to move to Texas!" Oh boy! We will see........

Sami diving under

Ava

Ava

G.A.T.E. Open House

Austin had his G.A.T.E. Open House last week. Every year the GATE class studies a new theme. This year is was on Change. How things have changed, how certain people changed the world, how different events or invention have changed our society. At the end of the year each student has to create a project of their choosing on something that relates to the theme. This year Austin chose to do his project on the Evolution of Books. He choose the topic on his own. We were very impressed with what he choose and the direction that he wanted to take with it. This class is definitely helping him to "think outside the box." He discussed the different ways that books evolved from oral stories, to different printing processes and then to the new era of digital books. His presentation board and model turned out very well. His teacher kept telling us how impressed she was. (That sounded a little on the braggy side , but what the heck!) We are very proud of him and all of his hard work.

Way to go Austin!

Let me count the ways....

This past week started a new life in our household. Our last child is now out of diapers!! Well almost, she still needs one at night, but she has done great so far. I put off potty training Ava because I HATE potty training. It is always such a long and drawn out process with my kids, but she has surprised me. She has been doing so well. We went to the movies, church and shopping and no accidents. As with everything in life there are definite pros and cons:

Low lights

Feeling like we have a new puppy instead of a 2 year old

Cleaning up numerous messes of bodily fluid (and other things!)

Washing 10-15 pairs of size 2 panties every day

Being home bound for the week

Highlights

Seeing her excited face when she succeeded

Spending hours reading, singing, painting nails, and chatting in order to keep her on the potty

Listening to her tell me stories

Watching her funny facial expressions when we talked

Watching a cute little girl walk around in her little panties

NO MORE DIAPERS

She has made the transition to "big girl" status quite easily. She is growing up so fast. It is exciting to watch, but it is a little surreal to think that she is the last one. I guess life keeps moving whether we want it to or not.

Car Pains and Headaches!

Last week Matt's car finally gave out on us. We were hoping to be able to get through the next 10 months with it and then I told him he could ditch it on the side of the road when we drove out of town, or maybe use it as an extra incentive for people to buy our house. The car was not the best, but it was paid for. Well, no such luck! Austin and I were driving home from football sign ups when it starting smoking and stalled out on the freeway and then completely died on the off ramp of the freeway. (Thanks Jessica for taking pity on us and giving us a ride home!) The radiator was shot and the head gasket was blown. It was going to cost WAY more than the car was worth to fix it. My parents were able to bring a car down from Utah for us. We now have a great new car. We ended up having a new payment that we were trying to avoid, but what are you going to do? We are grateful for parents that are willing and able to help us out when we need it. My mom stayed here for a few days after my dad flew home. We then drove her to St. George to meet my grandparents who were going to take her back home.

We had a great weekend with only one minor setback. Sami ended up falling and needing six stitches in her head. After a few hours in the ER she was good as new. Like mother like daughter! She now has a scar on her forehead just like me. I guess everyone needs a few battle wounds!

Even with the hospital visit we still had a good time. Samantha wanted pizza for dinner, so after the ER we headed to The Pizza Factory. We love this restaurant and usually hit it every time we are in St. George. We then went to the pool. Sami was sad that she could not show off her new swimming skills that she learned in lessons last week, but maybe next time.













The boys thought the weekend was a great success when they caught a lizard in the backyard.

We are grateful for our great family and all of the love and support that they give us. There are always going to be issues that come up in life. My dad had to remind me that there will never be a time when everything goes perfectly. We just have to learn to smile and laugh and deal with things the best that we can. Life would be so much harder if we did not have such the great support system that we are blessed with!

Pinewood Derby!

Austin completed his final Pinewood Derby of his scouting career. Next year he will be a boy scout and not a cubby! Matt and Austin worked on the car for weeks. They decided to do a John Deere themed car. After chasing around town we finally found John Deere stickers and actual John Deere colored paint. He did pretty good and made it to the finals! Matt was not there for the weigh in and we had to take .3 ounces out of the car. He said that the hole that was made in the bottem of the car to remove the weight ruined the integrity of the car! He asked me why I didn't ask our friend who is a dentist to help me. He said that dentist's have a smooth touch and can cut without messing things up. I just had to roll my eyes! The Cubmaster announced that the sons of dentists always have the best cars and that proved to be true again this year. The top winners were all made by dental dads! Austin was excited that his car did as well as it did. They are all ready working on ideas for Easton's car next year!

Final Dance Review!

Samantha had her final dance performance of the year on May 28. She did five different dances. She had such a great year. She loves to dance and sing along to the songs. She is trying to teach Ava the songs and the steps to the dances. She was so excited that her dad had brought her flowers for the end of her performance, and she said that was the best part! She is sad to be done for the summer, but the boys are SO happy that they don't have to go to any more dance performances for a while!