Bear World

One day we went to Bear World with Leesa, Kelli, and Dylan. Leesa took the kids last summer while I was at work, so this was the first time that I have ever been.

It was a lot of fun and now I understand why the kids are always asking to go back.

We started the day driving through the animal park. (No pictures of this). But the kids loved it. There were mountain goats, buffalo, deer, and of course, lots of bears. We got there right as it opened and it was the best time to go. We saw so many animals and the bears were wide awake and moving around.

The pictures are all out of order, but oh well.

There was a little petting zoo area that you could walk through. Maddox, the little animal lover, was a big fan of this part.

 There was also a little ride area where the kids could go on as many rides as they wanted. Maddox was pretty mad to be left out of most of the rides so I took him for a ride on the train.

 Of course, the snow cones are always a big hit with the kids.

 Morgan was also too little to go on the rides without an adult so she alternated going with me or Aunt Kelli. This car ride looked simple but then it started bouncing up and down and I thought I was going to be sick.

 I love the boy's looks of anticipation and excitement in this picture.

 There was a little area to walk through with some stuffed animals and different animals furs and stuff like that. Maddox looked so tiny next to the big bear.

 Of course we had to spend some time watching the baby bears play.

 A picture with me and my kiddos.

 Grandma with all the kids.

 

Summer time visitors!

We were lucky to be able to have Grandma Lyman, Kelli, and Dylan 

come to visit this summer. We packed a lot of fun activities into a short time.

The first day that they were here, the kids woke up early. We started the day with a visit to the dairy. Always a hit with the kids. Plus they got ice cream at like 8:30 in the morning :)

Mason had a T-ball game at 12:00 so the kids all wore their orange shirts!

 The animals are always a big hit with the kids.

 Maddox is a huge animal lover! He kept letting the sheep and

goats lick his fingers. Gross.

 After the dairy, we made a stop at the the greenbelt and the falls.

The kids always love chasing the ducks and watching the waterfalls.

 After the falls, we went to ijump. The kids had way too much fun. Even Maddox was jumping around and throwing balls all over.

After the fun at ijump, then we went to Mason's T-ball game! Yes, we did all of that other stuff before noon! After the game all the adults were exhausted. We went home and Kelli watched the kids (hopefully the 2 little ones slept for a while) and I went 

to work for 4 hours. 

Lots more fun over the next couple days coming up!

T-Ball

The weekend after school got out, Mason started T-Ball. He plays on a team with a few kids from our ward. This is the first sport that Mason has really been excited to play. He has really gotten into it and he was done really well with learning how to play.

 The first game there was a lot of sand playing, but that hasn't happened since then.

Mason has really grasped the concepts and he is really good at catching the ball and tagging the player or tagging the base. 

Morgan kept taking Mason's t shirt out of his laundry and trying to wear it. She was so upset that she didn't have a "t-ball" shirt. I found a plain orange t-shirt at Wal-mart for $2 so she now has her own "t-ball" shirt. She wears it to every game.

Team Picture 

Kindergarten Program

Today was Mason's Kindergarten Program. I was so excited to see

what they had planned. Mason was super excited to have us come watch. 

He kept telling me that they were practicing and getting ready for it, but he wouldn't tell me what songs they were singing.

Maddox just looked so cute walking around and waiting for it to start. 

 Mason always gets shy when he sees the camera. But I still think that he is a pretty cute little kindergartener.

 They sang a song for each season, and then they also sang "I can't spell hippopotamus" and a song that went along with a Pete the Cat book.

 Mason seriously cannot just smile for a picture. He always has to make a face.

 A picture with Mrs. Taylor. She has been the best teacher for Mason

and I am so impressed with how much he has learned. We will both be sad that his year with her is over.

I was so nervous to send Mason to Kindergarten since his birthday is only 3 days before the cutoff but I am glad that we decided to send him to school. He is super smart and is one of the best readers in his class.

Mason is really excited for 1st grade. He told me that he is excited because "you get 2 recesses in 1st grade." I don't think he has realized yet that he has to go all day long though. 

But 3 more days of school and then we can enjoy the summer before he moves on to 1st grade! 

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was pretty relaxed this year. Brad and the 

kids got me a gift card to Barnes & Noble and some little treats. I went and bought myself a new skirt for my mother's day present.

All I asked the kids for was to smile nice with me for a picture.

Surprisingly, they actually did pretty well with that request.

Mason made me a card at school. I love all of his art projects.

 

It was super windy that morning so we moved the pictures inside.
This one might be the best picture I've ever gotten with all 3 kids in it.

Sometimes I look around and wonder where the time has gone and how weird it is to have 3 kids. I sure am lucky to have all my kiddos and I love them, even if I spend almost my whole day making them food to eat and changing diapers and giving baths : ) They keep me busy but they also give the best snuggles in the world and I wouldn't trade that for anything!

Riding a bike!

The weather the past few weeks has been so nice, so we have been spending a lot of time outside. Mason decided he was ready to learn how to ride his bike. 

He wanted 2 of our neighbors, who are a few years older than him to teach him. 

One day after school they went for it and 5 minutes later, Mason was riding his bike around like a pro. 

Maddox got to sit in the stroller and watch : )

 Morgan spent the afternoon driving her car around.

 He had the biggest smile and was so proud of himself. We are

pretty lucky to have such good neighbors and friends.

Mason now loves to ride his bike. He will ride it around while waiting for the bus and he wants to ride as soon as he gets home from school. 

I think we will be spending a lot of time outside this summer!

Easter 2014

 We started off our Easter celebration by coloring eggs.

Always a fun activity but soo messy with all the kids.

Morgan just likes to be naked so that's why she doesn't have a shirt on.

 Luckily Maddox was pretty happy to sit in his chair and watch.

 On Saturday we went to a couple Easter egg hunts. First, we went to the one in Iona. This one was really good. They separated the kids by ages. Mason was old enough this year to understand and really get into it.

 He got quite a few eggs.

 Brad took Morgan to her age group. She got a few eggs too with Brad's help.

 Then we went to an egg hunt at our church. I like this one because they put out thousands of empty eggs and then the kids trade in their eggs for a treat bag. Maddox slept through this egg hunt.

On Saturday afternoon, the kids planted some jelly beans.

Here is Mason with his 3 jelly beans. 

 Morgan had to keep getting new jelly beans because she kept eating them.

 Maddox snatched a couple jelly beans and ate them too.

 They all eventually ended up with planted jelly beans.

 Before the kids went to bed, they checked on their plants...They had already sprouted up some lollipop sticks...

 This is what the jelly beans had grown into the next morning.

 The kids were really excited to see their baskets. Mason and Morgan both got a scooter. Those scooters have been ridden a ton in the past few weeks.

 Maddox got some snacks and chalk and bubbles.

 The kids also got some hula hoops.

 The kids all got new Easter outfits. I was able to get a couple nice pictures of the kids.

 I absolutely love Morgan's dress. Once I saw it, I knew she needed pearls. I found some super chunky pearls that I knew she just HAD to have.

 Maddox was so mad that I made him sit on the grass.

 And finally, for your viewing pleasure...enjoy my many attempts at trying to take a picture of the kids...Seriously, I don't know why I even try any more...